A Fate of Fantasy and Ash
by Farra Gate
Summary: Waking up in a strange and unfamiliar world with no memory of his past, Shirou struggles to find his identity whilst trying to survive from the harsh and dangerous every day life of a reservist soldier in Grimgar. With new-found comrades and old friends coming to join him, only time will tell if he could find a way back home.
1. Chapter I: Under the Blood Moon

**a/n:** Yo! I'm trying to bounce back from AToS so I wrote this story. Unlike A Throne of Swords, I want this story to be light and pleasant. I was inspired to write this when I watched the Grimgar anime. I actually read the first three volumes of the Light Novel too 'cause it got me intrigued. This story was written out of pure intention to entertain myself and will be irregularly updated so don't expect anything.

 **disclaimer:** I don't own anything. This is the only disclaimer I will write but it applies to the entirety of this story. Anything and everything that pertains to F/sn and Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash do not belong to me. I earn no form of profit from writing this except entertainment and improving my skills as an author.

* * *

 **A FATE OF FANTASY AND ASH**

 **Chapter I: Under the Blood Moon**

It was a distinct feeling, dying I mean. There was just pain while your life flashes before your eyes and coldness seeps deep into your bones, and then nothing.

The flashes of my past was vague, and I barely even remember glimpses of it, but I knew there was something I wanted to do—someone I aspire to be. Even suspended in the darkness of the void, that particular ambition of my past existence nagged at the back of my head and inspired regret from the deepest recesses of my being. What was it ?

I didn't want to die yet. I promised. I promised something to someone. Dull and lifeless eyes and a solemn smile—a face I couldn't quite remember on a silhouette sitting on a patio as the stars lit the sky in ambient sadness. I want to fulfill that promise. I want to keep living…

 _Awaken…_

The voice resonated in my soul—silent, gentle, and compassionate. It called something inside of me as it painted the blackness of the void with green streaks of soothing lights. And then, I breathed.

My eyes opened to a dark sight. It was blurry at first, but when I finally adjusted to the dark, I found that it was different from the void. The darkness wasn't as black, as if there was a bit of light leaching somewhere but it was miniscule and dim. I was lying flat on my back on a cold stone floor. Gingerly sitting up, I raised my hand to my face and ran it through my hair. Thinking it was but a dream, I pinched myself, and it hurt. Not a dream, then. I am alive. I'm still alive! _Why? How?_

I distinctly remember the pain when something long and sharp pierced my heart as it thirsted for my blood. I remember the cold, and then the subsequent darkness. How am I alive? What am I doing here? I swept my eyes on my current location. I couldn't see anything beyond my arm's reach but the small fire from lit candles on the walls illuminated a few portions of the room. There were more candles evenly distanced lining the wall which continued on a tunnel-like passage. The walls were rough stone, as if those of a cave. Come to think of it, my back and bum felt sore, a testament that, indeed, sleeping on cave floors was never comfortable. Where is _here_?

There was no one inside this gloomy room besides me. I could tell because I could hear no other sound except my own breath and heartbeat.

Dazedly, I stood up, my hand reaching out to a wall. I quelled the panic that bubbled in my gut and decided to follow the lit candles. Wherever it may lead, it was better than sitting idly here while waiting for someone to find me. I didn't know how far I've walked, where the candles started nor where it will end, but I've walked and walked and walked, until I finally saw a brighter light.

Feeling a little hope, I picked up my pace to reach the light, steps lighter and heart on my mouth. I later found that the light was not exactly a direct way out but instead a lantern. On the far wall, the lights the lantern gave touched a gate. Hesitating a bit, I pushed the gate and it creaked open, displaying a set of stairs that lead up a moldy-smelling corridor and another stone staircase. There were no candles but light was filtering from somewhere above so it might finally be my way out of this dingy place. There was another gate at the top, but unlike the one at the bottom, this one refused to budge no matter how much I pound or push it. It was locked from the other side.

"Hello!" I called loudly, hoping someone could hear me. "Anyone there? Help me! Please open this gate!"

There was a shuffling at the other side of the door so I backed away slightly as it finally swung open.

The room that greeted me was one built from stone. There was no window, only oil lamps that kept the room brightly lit. The room itself smelled musty and looked almost primitive. There was a few chairs and a table lying on a corner and another set of stairs that I hope lead out of this hellhole. But what really piqued my interest was the two guards that opened the door. The clothes they wore… were those _armor_?

The men even have helmets and sheathed swords… It all looked so realistic. How odd. What do they recon the day and age today?

One of the guards pulled something like a lever from the wall and then the whole room seemed to tremble before a portion of the wall shaped like rectangle sunk to the floor. The cold night breeze flitted inside the room, confirming that it was indeed finally my way out.

"Out," the guard told me with a sharp nod towards the door.

Tentatively, I decided to heed the order from the armored guard. I wouldn't want to be on the pointed end of his unsheathed sword if I ever caused them ire.

"Wait," the other guard called to me when I was almost outside. I looked at him expectantly. "Are there more of you down there?" he asked.

 _More?_ Does it mean I'm not the first nor the only one to emerge from that place? The longer time passed since the moment I awoke, the more confused I got. I can't remember anything. Where was I from? My family… family, it seemed wrong for me to think that I had a family, but even so I couldn't recall a face or a name that corresponds with that word. I couldn't remember anything before I opened my eyes in that underground cave. It's as if significant parts of my memories were ripped apart and left only a gaping, empty whole. No, more like it was there, just at the back of my head, but it seemed to escape from my grasp every time I tried to recall it—like scooping water with your fingers spread apart.

Shaking my head from the thoughts, I answered, "No, I don't think so. I was the only one there."

The guards gave each other a look I couldn't quite describe, and then they dismissed me with a wave towards the exit.

When I stepped out of the stone room, the sight that welcomed me outside astounded me. A million stars lit the night sky endlessly in every direction. I was standing atop a hill, and the horizon seemed just too far away. I could not make out anything clearly because of the darkness, but there seemed to be civilization not far from where I was. A huge, thick wall surrounded the city and the burning torches kept it decently well lit. I don't recognize it, I doubt I would, what with my elusive memory.

Feeling lonely and indecisive, I glanced back where I came from. A looming tower stood behind me. I barely even caught a glimpse of the closing stone door, which made me realize that I had been in there this whole time. Or maybe more precisely, underneath it. When the door finally clicked shut, I couldn't even tell where the entrance was, molding with the rest of the walls of the tower perfectly.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked to no one in particular.

I stared forlornly at the sky. It was very beautiful. The twinkling stars were uncountable and they each shined so brilliantly. The moon looked odd though. It was crimson in color. I don't recall where I was from, but I knew that the moon there was not red. Am I in a different world? Another dimension? A parallel universe?

* * *

"Ooh, found you finally! Eh, there's only one of you! How peculiar! Ehehehehe!" the voice grated on my ears. It was shrill and high-pitched, unmistakably a girl's. "Hmmm hummmhhmm… Chalalala, lalala, chalalalan~"

 _Who was that?_

"Helloooo! Hiyyyaaa! How are you? Were you lonely? No friends, huh. How lonelyyyy!"

I looked around and saw a girl with her hair tied in bunches poke her head from behind the tower. Jumping out in front of me, she curtsied with a flourish, her grin irritatingly bombastic.

"Welcome to Grimgar, lonely newcomer! My name is Hiyomu and I'm your guide! Nice to meet you, too? Pleased to meet you! Kyaaapeeee—!"

She was quite enthusiastic. It seemed to tire me out just listening to her.

"You're so quiet! Why so quiet? Hiyomu don't like quiet! Don't be sad, don't be mad, just smile, and skip away! Lalala, cha-lalala!" She kept singing.

I raised an eyebrow at her, but what she said kept me from tearing my hair out. "You said you finally found me, does that mean you were looking specifically for me?"

"Ayyeee! So you talk! Yuuuppp, yuuupppp! My name is Hiyomu and I'm your guide. Come follow me. If you don't, I'll leave you behind!" she sang again.

Her hair swayed from side to side as she started to skip away, her steps rhythmically bouncing. I followed her through the well-trodden path that lead down the hill. Grass lined the blackened road on either side and a great number of white rocks were scattered all over the grassland that lay beyond. As the darkness waned and I started to see the scenery more clearly, I found the numerous rocks meant more than that. They were organized neatly and have been positioned with intention.

"Gravestones," I let out with a breath.

There were so many of them. Some of the stones even have flowers on them. They were graves. This whole hill was a graveyard.

"Ehehehe," Hiyomu giggled. "No worries! Don't worry, newcomer! You're new! You won't need a stone just yet! We'll see, we'll see! Today, tomorrow, soon definitely! Ehehehe!"

Her words were disturbing and it made me involuntarily shudder. What did she mean by that? Suddenly, following her didn't seem like a rational idea. But I did anyway. It's not like I have a choice.

Hiyomu led me towards the city. The last remnants of dawn was beginning to fade, introducing me to a very strange sight. The city was built with a mixture of stones and wood, appearing organized and civilized but primitive. The white cobblestone streets have so many twists and turns that I'll probably easily lose my way in there. The early morning residents gave me strange looks, as if I'm an alien from another planet. I certainly feel alien. Their clothes looked less complex and shabby than the ones I wore. The whole city seemed to have been suspended in medieval era.

What kind of country is this? Country? Come to think of it, what country am I from? I search my brain for an answer. Nothing. Nothing comes back to me. How frustrating.

Hiyomu and I kept going until we came in front of a two-storey stone building. A white flag embedded with a red, crescent moon was raised above the building; a barely legible signboard had the same symbol suspended above the structure's door. Most of the words had faded and a few letters had fallen off.

"Here we are!" Hiyomu declared ceremoniously, gesturing at the building. "This is the Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon's Headquarters! Come in, come on! No time to waste!"

"Army?" I asked, a bit astonished.

Hiyomu went inside the building without answering my blurted inquiry. I doubt she even heard it with all the enthusiasm she had slammed the door open. I followed her inside and came into a spacious room. There was a few chairs and tables organized inside and a counter at the back. Hiyomu did not even pause and walked straight to the lone occupant of the room idly sitting behind the counter.

"Hiya, Bri-boo! How are you?" she greeted the man. "There is another one here I found! Could you please repeat your usual spiel for our misplaced newcomer?"

"Sure thing," the man answered, dismissing the girl with a shooing gesture.

"Then my job here is done! Bye-bye!"

With that, Hiyomu was gone out the door, leaving me alone with this strange man.

The man, for his part, gave me an unnerving once over—for my sake, I quite hope the hunger in his eyes I saw was but a trick of the light. Strange was not enough to describe the man, he was outright creepy. For one, his hair was dyed a bright green. His eyes were two pools of clear crystal blue engraved on a make-up caked face and his lips were painted black. The smile on his lips was coy but the glint in his eyes was malevolent. The stare he kept giving me made my forehead sweat with anxiety.

"Hmmm… you've got potential," he said, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. Definitely disturbing.

"Welcome to Grimgar, my little green kitten," he continued with a drawl. "I am Brittany, the head of Crimson Moon, Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force. You can call me 'Bri' or 'commander'—whichever pleases you, but you had better make sure to use it with passion and affection, like a child to a mother, understood?"

I quietly listened to his introduction, completely trying to ignore how queasy I felt under his scrutiny.

"Altana? It doesn't sound familiar to me. And Reserve Force? You want me to volunteer as a soldier?"

"Oohh! I really do like my kittens smart!" Bri said with a laugh. "What's your name, sweetie?"

Name? Oh. "Shirou. My name is Shirou," I told him. It was all I could remember, all I have. I clung to it as if a lifeline. It was all I could define myself.

"Well then, Shi-chan, I'll explain for you, since you seem like a very nice kitty." He inclines on his seat and props his feet on the table. "I'm offering you a choice to enlist as a member of Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon. You'll be a trainee at first, but you'll eventually climb up the proverbial ladder and become a self-sufficient soldier. Since you are obviously given the right to choose, you could take the offer or leave it. But," Bri then sits upright and leans forward on the table, "if you'll take my advice, I'll advice you to take my offer."

"Why? What would happen if I decide to refuse?"

"Oh, nothing. I told you, it is your choice. I'll take no responsibility if you decide to refuse and leave," Bri answered. "However, if you do accept to enlist, you'll receive ten silvers from me. That'll be enough to provide you for a while. In some cases, it's more than enough. You, on the other hand, came alone. You'll have a harder time than most—that is certain—but it'll be even harder without the benefits of becoming a trainee. It'll be a shame if you die so soon," Bri added.

I furrowed my brows while watching the queer man with calculating eyes. What did he mean by that? I definitely see the benefits of acquiring some currency, but telling me that the extreme of refusing to enlist was to die seemed excessive.

"Is Altana teeming with criminals? Is that why the army needs manpower that much?" I asked, suddenly wide-eyed.

It was the only conclusion I could think of. It didn't seem like that when Hiyomu was leading me into the city, but at the realization of innocent and helpless civilians being oppressed by delinquents lit a fire in my soul. No, it was not just a fire, it was an inferno. It's not right. I have to do something to help.

My inner turmoil was shattered when Bri let out a laugh. "No, no, you got it wrong," he said, waving his hand in front of his face with a chuckle. "Here in the frontier, we humans clash with other races—monsters, if you will, and I assure you that there are plenty of them out there. It is the frontier army's job to kill those monsters and defend our borders. It's not an easy work, to be honest. That's why they have us. The reserve force is different from the army because we operate individually in small numbers of three to six, but we are a part of it."

"What kind of monsters?"

"Oh, no need to be hasty to get to know the fiends, you'll meet one eventually," Bri said good-naturedly. He stood up from his seat, opened a drawer to take out a string pouch and a red coin engraved with a red, crescent moon and laid the objects on top of the counter. "So, would you take the offer? In truth, there are other available jobs in Altana other than being a reservist soldier, but your probability of being employed to one of them is low and the wage you'll get is so miniscule that it'll hardly keep you living. You'll also start of as a slave-boy to your new master."

Slave-boy? Like an errand boy or something? I wouldn't mind being one if all I have to do was household chores. After all, I think I quite liked cooking and cleaning. But the way Bri had said 'slave-boy', I think he was referring to another kind of service. Something I wouldn't have the stomach to do.

Steeling my resolve, I took both the pouch and the red coin. Even without telling me the last part, I've already decided that I wanted to be a volunteer soldier. For some reason, the thought of people constantly being harassed by monsters did not sit well with me. If being a trainee—and later a reservist soldier would help me protect them, then I'd take the opportunity. It seemed just the kind of person I am.

"Very good," Bri praised, his hands clasping on his chest with a pleased smile on his face. If he believed it made him look cute, he was gravely mistaken. But it's not like I would say it out loud on his face. No matter how bizarre and laid back Bri appeared, I knew instinctively that he was dangerous. "That," he said pointing at the red coin on my hand, "is the only proof that you're a trainee, so don't lose it. When you have means to finally purchase your contract for twenty silvers, then you'll become a full-fledged member of the Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon with all related privileges and distinctions."

My eyebrow rose at that. I have to pay twice what he'd given me to become an official member? So that means I still need to find a way to get funds because I wouldn't get a stable salary from him or the organization. _What?_

"What is it exactly a trainee does?" I asked, feeling like I've been misled.

Bri smirked at me. "You'll just have to figure it out on your own, Shi-chan~"


	2. Chapter II: Into the Unknown

**Chapter II: Into the Unknown**

" _I'll give you a clue because you are just so adorable,"Bri said with a smile. "You should find a guild that suits you and start from there. Best of luck, my kitten!"_

After being shooed out the Crimson Moon Headquarters, I wandered around the streets of Altana with every intention of gathering more information. I know nothing about myself or where I came from except my own name, and that was disconcerting. By how Bri had stated his offer and everything it entailed, it seemed like there were many other people like me who wound up lost with no identity in Altana and the Crimson Moon had taken it upon themselves to give us purpose and a means to survive.

A guild. Bri told me that I should join a guild. But what is a guild anyway?

Altana was really fascinating. As midmorning finally approached, more and more people came bustling out on the streets. The whole city was built like a castle, twisting and spiraling upwards with narrow cobblestone streets and stone staircases, sandstone and wooden edifices, towards a lofty stone tower. Horses rarely pulled carts but were instead pushed by the merchants and food stalls were scattered on every corner of the pathways. The delicious scent of the sizzling meat beckoned me like a taunting temptress, and my stomach grumbled for attention. I hadn't eaten since I awoke, and that was way before the sun rose, so that meant I missed my breakfast and who knows how long I've stayed unconscious in that cave. I am _so_ hungry.

Jingling the pouch of silvers in my hand, I hesitated. I only have ten silvers. Spending even a coin for food when I can just forage for it seemed like a waste. I knew I could cook and if only I could hunt, then I wouldn't have to expend a penny to fill my aching stomach.

With that in mind, I asked around until I finally found the market. People weren't very forthcoming with words but they did point me to the right direction.

The whole marketplace was teeming with activity. Goods and assorted merchandises were carried in carts and laid bare for the public to garner costumers. Food stands and other esoteric stalls stood in every corner, the enthusiastic merchants peddled clothing shops that sold none like the clothes I wore, sundries and exotic wares and even animals. 10C, 12C, 15C and so on; the prices indicated on some of the articles. I could read the placards well enough but I certainly didn't know what it meant.

Walking around aimlessly for a while, I finally found the particular shop I was looking for. It was a weapons shop. Blades of different kinds were laid on a table in front of the merchant. Samples of throwing knives and small daggers dangled on eye level and the more intricate and well-crafted weapons were visible enough from the back. The merchant himself was an old man with his balding head and scruffy white beard, but there was still a spark in his eyes and the calluses on his palm and fingers spoke of the fact that everything he sold was made by his own hands.

"Hullo, young'un," the man greeted. "What interests you in my humble shop? Blades of all kinds, I have it!"

"I am looking for a hunting knife, sir," I told him.

"Hunting knife, eh? I have those, too! Here let me just get some so you could choose what suits you best," he said.

Out of the three different knives he offered me, I chose the simplest one. It's handle was made with a plain sturdy wood but fit my grasp remarkably. It's steel blade was half the length of my arm, it's edge sharp and the end pointed. It also came with a leather scabbard that was strapped around the leg.

"That would be thirty coppers," the merchant told me.

"Coppers?" I asked. I fished for a silver in my pouch and showed it to him. "I only have silvers."

"Oh," he said, a bit surprised. "That is fine. I have some change here."

I gave him the silver and he pulled a drawer behind the table to get the coins. He piled seven stacks of copper coins on the table; ten coins each stack.

"There you go. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he said with a smile.

I counted the coins before putting them in my pouch. "So one silver is equal to a hundred coppers," I thought aloud in wonder. I have nine more silvers so that would be nine hundred coppers. Add it to the change the merchant gave and I still have nine hundred and seventy coppers. Well, it certainly sound loftier compared to when I assumed I only have ten silvers.

"And a hundred silvers is equal to one gold. You," the man eyed me with amusement, "didn't know about this?"

"No, sir," I answered timidly.

He appraised me again. "You are strange. You must be a member of the Crimson Moon."

"I'm still a trainee, sir," I said. "I've just started today."

"I see," the old merchant said with understanding. "Well, I should have realized with the clothes you wear. You Crimson Moon fellows had always been a bit strange, come to think of it."

I talked with the merchant who introduced himself as Bart for a while. He was informative and knowledgeable about Altana and he shared everything he knew to me with no reservations. When I finally decided to be on my way, I paid another four coppers to buy bowstrings.

"Come again if ever you need any blades or weapons. I'll give you a discount."

With a smile, I thanked the old man and bade him good-bye.

* * *

According to Blacksmith Bart, south of the Tenryuu Mountains was the Aravakia Kingdom and Altana was just its stronghold here on the frontier. The Tenryuu Mountain Range was a series of towering precipitous mountains that lay south of Altana.

The history of Altana was very fascinating, and I listened attentively to Bart when he retold it to me. He said that a century and a half ago, Altana and the frontier territories north of the Tenryuu Mountains used to belong to several human kingdoms because humans was the dominant race of Grimgar then.

That changed, however, when the Deathless King arrived. Bart had been mostly vague and sketchy, but he told me that the Deathless King was a fearsome magician and he was also a skilled politician. The Deathless King brought forth a new race of undead, and as their leader, did more than just conquer. With his charisma, he convinced the other races to acknowledge his authority and formed a confederation of kings with them. Together, they sparked a war against the human kingdoms and forced them to flee down south of the Tenryuu Mountains.

His fellow kings then hailed the Deathless King an emperor, and so the Undying Empire was born. Humans weren't able to set foot north of the Tenryuu mountains until a hundred years ago, when the Deathless King finally perished and the unifying leadership of the Undying Empire fell apart. Taking advantage of the situation, the Aravakia Kingdom established Altana as their stronghold in the north, and it remained that way to this day.

Compartmentalizing that knowledge in my head, I now realize what Bri meant when he told me that the Altana Army and Crimson Moon worked together to defend Altana's borders from different races. There were actually seven more races that were known: elves, the undead or ghouls, orcs, goblins, kobolds, nyaas or nekomatas, and dragons. The lowest, of course, were the goblins and ghouls that litter around in camps near Altana and could be easily faced by trainees like me.

The trainees and reservist soldiers of Crimson Moon group each other into parties of three to six to fight and kill other races. Each party was an individual in its own, with its own rules and tactics to combat different kinds of opponents that lived beyond the northern borders of Altana. Monetary profit or wages were in the form of the belongings that could be collected from the corpses of the fallen foes. These items would then be appraised and sold for a fair price in the marketplace.

The questions unanswered just kept multiplying as I mulled the acquired information in my head. Right now, though, I have a bigger problem to worry about, like the fact that I am _so_ very hungry. Before heading through the gates, I made sure to buy some salted meats and dry fruits, just in case my incursion in the woods became unsuccessful, and that just cost me another ten coppers.

As I passed through the gates, the armored sentries gave me varying degrees of condescending looks. I didn't know what those meant but it made me a bit nervous. It was like they were sending me to my death by letting me pass through the gate. It can't be that bad. Besides, I wouldn't be venturing too deep into the woods and come back before nightfall.

Beyond the gates of Altana was a mile of open space with tall grass the height of my waist towards the edge of the forestry. Close to human civilization as it was, no game could be seen anywhere on the plains.

The sun was close on its peak and the heat was getting irritating. It seemed I was wearing two layers of clothing and it made me uncomfortable with the scorching heat of the sun seeping into the thick garments. Fiddling with my clothes, I pulled down the strange mechanism sewed on the front of the first layer of garment I wore and tied its sleeves around my waist.

I was about to continue on when something fell from the pocket of my clothing. It was a silver chain necklace with a red heart-shaped jewel pendant. When I grabbed for it, vague blackened images flashed through my eyes—of sharp jade eyes, silky black hair, and a whisper of regret.

" _Why...? Of all people… you?"_

As abrupt as they came, the images were gone just as fast. I tried to hold on to the visions, but like catching dusts from the wind, they just faded back from whence they came.

I stared at the pendant for a long while, pondering what had just transpired in my head. This necklace, it was something significant to me, or at least to who I was. Funny how I didn't wake up with it around my neck but instead in my pocket. Shaking out of my reverie, I re-pocketed the necklace absentmindedly.

When I passed the first line of trees through the forest, I immediately felt relieved to be out of the sun's rays. The area within was much more humid and refreshing than the plains. Towering trees with intertwining crowns stood tall and competitive for sunlight. The trickling sound of running water was barely audible to my ears and the rustling of leaves—whether by the wind or other creatures, composed a harmonized symphony of the jungle. If I just stayed still, closed my eyes, and concentrated a bit, I could almost envision the wilderness coming to life.

The first thing I did was make my own bow using the hunting knife and bowstrings I bought. I made five sharpened arrows with the leftover wood from which I constructed my bow itself was crude and rudimentary, but it had enough power to thrust an arrow in about fifteen to eighteen paces with decent force. I practiced with it for a few minutes with a tree as my target before nodding to myself in approval.

It was a very soothing exercise, archery I mean. There was something about holding a bow and hitting the target that just made me feel like I've done it before. Regardless of the fact that I didn't have the memories of my past, it was a relief that I could hit all my intended target without missing my mark. Every single time I fired an arrow, it went where I envisioned it to go. At least I could be sure that I would never miss and perhaps wouldn't have to worry about getting hungry or spending my money for food.

My little adventure in the forest had been uneventful for the most part. I was careful not to make any more unnecessary noises so as not to alert any other predators lurking in this part of the woods, having learned my lesson when I was suddenly attacked by half a dozen humungous rats with tough pin-like fur and jagged teeth. I was quite thankful that I'm wearing durable pants, lest I wouldn't have been able to chase them away with just a few shallow cuts and light bruises. Hopefully, those damned rats didn't have rabies.

It was a bit past noon when I finally found a game—a small deer partaking a drink on a stream. I sniped it from my perch on a branch of a tree before it could escape, hitting it on a vital spot. Landing on my feet, I sprinted closer to the deer and kneeled beside it. I unsheathed the hunting knife from the strap on my leg and whispered an apology and a thank you to the barely alive animal before cutting its jugular.

Happy and excited now that I have something to eat, I made camp on a clearing not far from the stream. I was already gathering some broken dried branches when I realized something very important… I _didn't_ know how to make a fire!

 _Oh, geez. I wish I had at least a lighter or a match…_

Halting mid-thought, I furrowed my brows. _Lighter? Match?_ What the heck are those? For a moment there, I thought I knew what those words meant, but when I pondered it, it just slipped away like a slithering snake. The word was gone from my head before I could even breathe it life.

Sighing in frustration I dragged my feet back where I left the deer. The scene that greeted me on that particular spot in the forest made me take a step back. My catch was exactly where I left it, no surprise there since the deer was very much dead and very unlikely to move. The unusual detail was that I suddenly have three uninvited guests joining me for lunch. The mud goblins stood in a loose half-circle around my caught game, eyeing it with drooling hunger. They were laughing by themselves and speaking in garbled language, as if they were already making plans on eating my hard-earned food and would not be inclined to share. My stomach let out a mellow growl at the mere thought.

 _Oh, no they don't!_

"Step away from my food!" I hollered angrily at the goblins.

* * *

The sound of my voice alerted the three goblins of my presence and turned their heads in my direction in natural synchrony.

Mud goblins were wrinkly, yellow-skinned creatures the size of a small child, barely as tall as my waist. They had pointed ears, beady dark eyes, and patches of grotesque hair. They never _ever_ take a bath since the moment they were born so they were exceptionally stinky. Their teeth were black like tar (and not because it was naturally black, mind you) and uneven, their tongue purple, and had a face that resembled that of an old witch. The goblins in front of me were completely naked, wearing nothing but some kind of necklace hanging from their neck and one of them have a leather pouch tied around its waist.

Perhaps they realized that I was alone and there were three of them because they suddenly snickered. They grabbed some kind of heavy wooden club from the ground near their feet and faced me in a not-quite organized half-circle, their expressions twisted with a grin.

Dropping the woods in my arms, I picked one of the longest and thickest branch and stood in front of them, one foot forward in a low stance and the stick raised diagonally from the ground. This posture seemed oddly comfortable to me, but I can't help but feel that there was something missing. I stared at my hands that held the branch, and then traced it to its end. _Traced…_ I was getting somewhere. It was at the tip of my tongue.

My thoughts were interrupted when one of the goblins, the one with the belt, suddenly attacked me with a snarled war cry, his—her—its club raised above its head. Interpreting it as a signal to start their assault, the other two goblins joined their presumed leader.

With swift, precise strokes, my body seemed to move on its own as I parried, blocked and hit with my impromptu weapon. Intuition guided me as I fought with the goblins, if it could be called that when I was actually trouncing them. I think the three of them didn't even know how to fight properly, only swinging their clubs wildly and tossing it to luck for one blow to hit. Maybe I might be able to drive them away if I just tire them out.

However, when the goblins realized that their crude tactics weren't working, they took a step away, snarling at each other in their imperceptible tongue. They circled around me in three different direction, boxing me in. I stayed rooted at one spot, my eyes darting to each of them, alert for any sudden movement.

One of the goblins broke formation and attacked me upfront. With ease, I slapped away his club with my stick. He rolled with the blow and ducked low. The second goblin came in, attacking me from my right. His swing went wide, letting me dodge it effortlessly. I parried his next strike, and then blocked the other one coming from the first goblin. I was so focused on the two goblins that I neglected to pay attention to the third who was quietly circling around me, looking for the best opportunity to strike. It was too late when I realized that mistake. The blow from the third goblin came from behind me, swinging his heavy club in a great arc that came hurtling at my shin, making me stumble in pain and lose my footing.

Crouching with one knee on the ground, I was now on even ground with the pint-sized creatures, and it was enough of an advantage for them to defeat me. The branch I used as a weapon was smacked away from my hands when the first goblin hit my arm, the second struck me below my ribcage, making me cringe but not more, and the third aimed at my head for a concussing blow. Luckily, I dodged within a hair's breathe when I tilted my head to the side, which instead made the entire weight of the club land on my shoulder. The blow incited a pained grunt from my lips, and I could almost hear my bone cracking with the force it carried.

I doubt the goblin didn't really intend that attack to merely give me a concussion. It was intended to _kill_ me.

It was only with that realization that my general situation finally sunk into me. I was lost in a strange world with no memory of my past, no knowledge about myself, and I just became a trainee for the Crimson Moon, a Reserve Force that fights other races to defend Altana. Fights… I was supposed to fight. Not just because I was a trainee, but most importantly, for my survival. These other races—these mud goblins, they were doing the same. The moment I woke up in this world, it was supposed to be my priority—to _survive_. I was supposed to fight… to _kill._ Because death here was as final as the death in my original world—wherever that was. I didn't want that. I didn't want to die yet. I made a promise.

 _No, not yet._

Unsheathing the hunting knife from its scabbard, I gripped it in my hands, my conviction solidified.

The boorish laughs of the goblins was drowned out as adrenaline pumped into my veins. Before the first goblin even realized it, the edge of my blade sunk at the junction of his neck and shoulders, severing blood vessels and bones like a hot knife through butter. The sound of his body falling to the ground and the dying gurgles of black blood in his throat was deafening, the other two goblins were suddenly gob-smacked and speechless.

Gingerly standing up to my full height, I retrieved my knife from the dead goblin. Flicking it towards the ground, the goblin's blood splattered on the forest floor with a splash.

Fury filled the leader goblin's eyes when he finally comprehended what had happened to one of his lackeys. With his initiation, the two remaining mud goblins renewed their attacks. However, because they were now just motivated by revenge and driven by emotions, their swings were more wild and uncontrolled.

I think something inside me died more when I ended their lives. Their death was swift and painless, just as I intended it when I hunted that deer.

When it was all finally over, I stood alone in that clearing not too far away from the stream, my newly acquired hunting knife just this morning drenched in blood and four corpses lying motionless around me. I felt like weeping and cursing. Hunger was the furthest thought from my mind even as my stomach grumbled. I just dropped to my knees in forlorn melancholy.


	3. Chapter III: A Misfit Among Misfits

**Chapter III: A Misfit Among Misfits**

It was awful to realize how alone you are in a world where you obviously didn't belong. There was no one you could run to—to find comfort and solace. There was no one to share your pain, and no one to celebrate with on every triumph. Sitting alone on a fallen trunk on the edge of my camp, I lament my solitude.

I didn't know how long I've stayed here in the forest. The three dead goblins were exactly where they were when I killed them because I didn't know what to do with their corpses. Was I supposed to bury them? Was that the proper custom among goblins? Or am I supposed to cremate them? I heard the curse of the Deathless King still lingered in the frontier. Not giving them the proper burial didn't seem like the right thing to do lest they become ghouls and attack other people that traveled here.

 _Maybe I should just throw them in the stream? Mud goblins like mud, right? Maybe I should just cover them with mud?_

I was still debating with myself on what to do and hesitant to leave the forest when a group of adventurers stumbled in my camp. They were a party of six—four boys and two girls—and each of them was dressed differently from the other. By the looks of them, they seemed to be on their way back to Altana from a quest, what with their weary expressions and haggard appearance.

"Whoah, what the hell happened here?" one of them asked in wonder. It came from the boy with curly russet hair dressed in worn light armor and leather clasps, a sword strapped on his back. He walked close to one of the dead mud goblins and kicked it on the arm, as if making sure the creature was indeed dead.

The other members of the group looked at me, considering me with their gazes. The most pleasant one who was dressed in priest clothes and held a short metal staff gave me a small friendly smile. I haven't met any priests yet but I assume it is a ritual among them to pray for the dead, seeing how the tall boy had drawn a hexagram on his forehead at the sight of the goblins' corpses. He seemed nice, at least.

"Are you okay?" the priest asked me. Judging by how he was at the front of the group and the center of it, I reckon he was the leader. Concern was written all over his face but it didn't reach his eyes. No, his eyes conveyed a different message: curiosity, suspicion, and wariness.

"I'm fine," I answered out of politeness. In truth, my elbow that was once dislocated was a bit sore, my aching broken shoulder protested with every move I made, and I think I would feel the bruise on my side when I wake up tomorrow. Pain seemed like a very inconsequential issue for my body, more of a nuisance than discomfort. I wonder what I have been through in the past to have such an astounding pain tolerance.

When I said nothing else, the leader took that as a sign to introduce himself and his friends. "I'm Manato and these are my party mates," he said, gesturing at his companions. "Guys, introduce yourselves," he persuaded them.

The rest of the members looked at each other with skepticism, and then just shrugged and did what they were told.

"I'm Moguzo," one of them initiated. He was a large boy probably around my age, wearing mismatched pieces of metal scrapped together to appear vaguely like a heavy armor on his body and was lugging a huge bastard sword at his back. Despite his imposing build, the smile on his face was genuine and trusting. I supposed he was like one of those gentle giants.

"Haruhiro," the boy from the back said, raising his hand as a form of greeting. He was a boy with an unassuming appearance and droopy eyes, as if he was always sleepy. He carried no other weapons beside the dagger strapped on his leg and was dressed in leather straps lighter than his curly-haired friend was.

"Yume is nice to meet you," one of the girls of the group said with airy jubilance, whom I assumed must be named Yume (behind her, Haruhiro seemed to mumble something like, "is _pleased_ …"). Her smile was stretched from ear to ear, her body tilted a little to the side to give me a cheerful wave. A short bow was slung at her back with a quiver of arrows, her clothes composing of a black tight-fitting full-body cloth underneath a sleeveless pinkish tunic that exposed some skin on her midriff, short shorts, and knee-high boots. She also wore a pair of black gloves that were asymmetric in length, one that reached higher than her elbow while the other stopped at her wrist. Her long rose blonde hair was separated into twin braids that hung down halfway the back of her knee. "And this is Yume's friend, Shihoru!" she added as she put her arm around the other girl's shoulders.

"H-Hello," the girl timidly greeted. She held the rim of her pointed hat when she bowed, her short lavender hair smoothly shifting with her movement. She was clad in a red-trimmed black dress that matched her hat with a small white hooded cape and a wooden staff was held in her free hand.

Watching the short girl fidget and blush reminded me of someone, someone I couldn't remember. I wanted to chuckle at that line of thought, considering how ridiculous it was. There was someone like Shihoru in my past life, but I couldn't recall what she looked like nor what her name was. It nagged at the back of my head like an itch I couldn't quite scratch.

Giving the shy girl a smile, I turned my eyes to the curly-haired boy who was wandering around the three corpses of the goblins. When a quarter of a minute passed and the boy still did not introduce himself, his teammates gave him a sardonic look.

"And this here is Ranta," Manato told me with an apologetic smile.

"Yo, Ginger," the boy introduced as Ranta greeted. Raising his brows at the wry looks from his comrades, he arrogantly exclaimed, "Don't look at me like that! It's not my fault he didn't immediately recognize my devilishly handsome face as the awesomest, greatest Lord Ranta! He should've kneeled in front of me in awe just 'cuz he's breathing the same air as me!" Ranta crossed his arms over his puffed out chest, a haughty grin plastered on his face.

I think he was waiting for an applause that would never come.

' _Uh… huh?'_ was my reaction. The rest of his audience just bore his exclamation with enduring patience and a roll of their eyes.

"My name is Shirou," I said, introducing myself in turn.

"Hey! Don't just go ignoring me! You should be paying reverent attention to me! You're in the presence of the Great Amazing Ranta!"

"Just shut up, great _annoying_ Ranta," Haruhiro deadpanned.

"You shut up, Parupiro! No one's talking to you! Why don't you just lie down over there and take a nap! You're getting sleepy again because you're so damned weak!"

"Nice to meet you, Shirou," Manato replied, ignoring Ranta's angered rant at being disregarded and his ensuing squabble with a disgruntled Haruhiro. When he extended his hand, I received it with a brief shake. "What are you doing in the forest alone? Where is the rest of your party?" he asked.

"I don't have a party," I answered.

Manato and his group gave me a disbelieving look.

"Then, who took down these mud goblins?"

"Well," I said, a bit confused at their dubious expressions, "I did." _Wasn't it obvious? I'm the only one they found here. Who else could have done it?_

The mud goblins were pretty small creatures and had barely any knowledge in fighting. They were hardy little beasts but they still fell quite easily when targeted at a vital spot, as I assume any of the different races have. Was it so surprising that I have beaten them all by myself?

Moguzo scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "We barely took one down yesterday…," he mumbled.

The rest of the party members seemed to slump at Moguzo's words, each of them avoiding eye contact as an awkward silence permeated in the air.

"It's a good thing we ran into Shirou then 'cuz look!" Ranta said boisterously, holding up three cord necklaces and the leader goblin's leather pouch. "This gotta be worth more than what we got! And now we have more money! And it's all thanks to me! Taking this route was my idea! Without me we wouldn't have walked this way and found the goblins so you should all bow down to my greatness!"

"Ranta, you idiot! That's not ours!" Yume exclaimed in alarm the same time as Shihoru reticently protested, "W-we shouldn't…" Haruhiro just face-palmed in abject humiliation at his companion's rambunctious idiosyncrasy. Even Moguzo seemed to want to shrink down the ground in embarrassment.

"I don't think that's for us to decide, Ranta," Manato pacified. He looked at me again to gouge my reaction. "Are you, by any chance, a trainee like us?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I answered. "I just started today. I was just hunting here in the woods so I wouldn't have to spend money for food, but then, I ran into these goblins. I didn't mean to kill them, I just wanted to drive them away."

"You were hunting?" Manato asked in befuddlement. He surveyed me from head to toe as if seeing me for the first time.

"You're not a _hunter_ ," Yume concluded matter-of-factly.

I felt a bit offended. I caught a deer. I traced its tracks and killed it with a bow and arrow I made with my own hands. Besides, I have a hunting knife. I think that was enough to establish me as a hunter, at least.

"I might not be an expert, but I like to think that I know how to hunt. After all, I have hunted and caught my own lunch," I replied, gesturing at the deer that I had laid down the log where I sat.

Ranta whistled an impressed tune. "See that Yume? He's a better hunter than you are! You're truly as talented as you are boobless!"

"Talent has ain't got to do with Yume being flat, stupid Ranta," the girl said, face red with anger. She turned at my affronted expression and smiled uneasily. "Yume meant she thinks you are not a part of the Hunters Guild. Yume's master said that people who are not part of the guild and was not blessed by Goddess Eldritch will be cursed by the forest if they hunted in the frontier."

 _Oh._ It was my turn to be surprised. A guild. So there was a Hunters Guild and anyone not part of it was not allowed to hunt lest they be cursed.

"I see," I said. "Maybe that's why I had the misfortune of having the uninvited goblins stumble in my camp."

"Don't worry. Yume is a hunter so maybe she could plead Eldritch to forgive you. Better late than forever, I guess," Yume said with a bright smile.

"It's 'Better late than never', Yume, not 'Better late than forever'," Haruhiro promptly corrected, ever the straight man.

"Really? Yume is sure it goes like that…"

Yume showed me how to make a fire using two stones and some dry leaves and she helped me skin the deer and cut it to pieces. When Manato assured me that the other races do not turn into ghouls when they died, we buried the goblins before starting to cook the deer. Ranta grudgingly accepted to assist when Yume threatened not giving him any portion of the deer if he did not help. I gladly seconded her. To tell the truth, Ranta's overbearing and arrogant attitude grated on my nerves. His idiotic antics was quite entertaining at best and absolutely abhorrent at worst, especially at his blatant vulgarity with the girls. I found myself wondering how his party made to tolerate him.

"So you don't have a guild yet, Shirou?" Manato asked curiously, as we ate the roasted deer. "And no party, too?"

"You must be strong," Moguzo said.

"Bri told me to join a guild, but I just woke up today and I didn't even know what a guild is. I thought I'll check it out later when I'm no longer hungry," I answered with a shrug.

"So you're our junior! And you've been disrespecting me this whole time! You should respect your betters, boy!" Ranta interjected with the realization, aiming at me with his food, his eyes narrowed.

"We're all around the same age, Ranta," I said dismissively.

"How dare you take that tone with me?"

"I think Shirou's a bit older than you," Moguzo commented.

"And probably stronger, too," Haruhiro added his two cents with his usual calm and poker face when it came to Ranta's immature remarks.

"Back-stabbing fiends, the lot of you!" Ranta sulked.

"You should enter a guild, Shirou," Manato told me. "It'll be easier to join other parties if you do."

"What is a guild, exactly?" I asked. People kept telling me to join a guild, but every time, they neglect to tell me what entering a particular guild even entails. For one, I wouldn't want to take any more than I can chew. I am still reeling at the fact that I became a Crimson Moon trainee without knowing what it meant. I think that's enough unknown for today.

"Guilds are organizations that are founded by people of the same profession," Manato explained. "There are a lot of guilds in Altana that you could join, like the Blacksmith's Guild, Carpenter's Guild, Mason's Guild, Chef's Guild, and so forth that primarily supports the society in mundane and nonviolent ways. Additionally, there are also the guilds that were established to facilitate the protection and defense of Altana that could be joined by combatants and adventurers like us. There's the Priests and Paladins Guild, Warriors Guild, Mages Guild, Thieves Guild, Hunters Guild, and Dread Knights Guild. Of course, each guild had their own rules and regulations and not abiding them could result into being penalized. I, myself, am a member of the Priests and Paladins Guild, Haruhiro is a Thief, Moguzo's a Warrior, Shihoru's a Mage, Yume, as you already know, is a Hunter and Ranta's a Dread Knight."

"Psh, everyone knows the Dread Knights Guild is the best. I live for the glory of Lord Skullheil!" Ranta declared, puffing his chest out. "If you want to be as great and awesome as me, join my guild!"

"Guilds protect the individual rights of its members and offers a place to learn their trade. People who wanted to enter a particular profession within Altana must enter the related guild or they'll be deliberately obstructed. Besides, no one in Altana really did business with those who operated outside of guilds anyway," Manato continued.

"So, if I sold these things the goblins have, no one would look to appraise them in the market unless I enter a guild?" I asked. Bart was pretty forthcoming to me, but I think I never mentioned to him that I didn't have a guild. He just assumed that I'm already decently established despite being new to Altana. If he knew, maybe he wouldn't be as nice.

"Yes, basically," Manato answered. "But if you will it, we could help. Do you have a place to stay already?"

"No, none yet."

"You could stay with us in the reserve force soldier lodge near Nishimachi. It's a bit shabby but affordable enough. You can choose a guild tomorrow."

"That would be nice. Thanks," I said, relieved.

After that conversation, we all descended into small talk. I was a bit envious of them for having each other. Apparently, there were twelve of them at first. Their supposed frontrunner was a guy named Renji who picked four more to be his party mates while leaving the rest to fend for themselves. One of them joined another party and the remaining dregs, whom I was speaking to now, banded together to form their own party. They were pretty self-deprecated and were nothing but a bunch of misfits, but I saw promise in them. It showed in the fact that they kept going on despite being left behind.

"You don't remember anything from your past either, do you?" Haruhiro asked quietly.

"No," I said, frowning. "You mean you're all like me?"

They looked at each other. "Yeah, I guess," Haruhiro answered uncertainly.

They were unsure. Why is that?

"You don't remember waking up in the underground cave," I said aloud.

"We don't," Manato replied grimly for all of them.

"I remember seeing the crescent red moon in the sky while going down a hill," Shihoru said, solemn and distant.

Haruhiro nodded. "It's like, little by little, we start to forget everything that has anything to do about where we came from. I even think that maybe if enough time passed, we might all the more forget that we were not of this world in the first place."


	4. Chapter IV: A Hammer to the Anvil

**Chapter IV: A Hammer to the Anvil**

 _There was a weariness in my muscles and the exhaustion made my body admittedly heavier, but I cannot deny the satisfied smile that tugged on my lips. As I looked up and saw the dojo sparkling clean, the familiar feeling of fulfillment bubbled in my gut._

 _The sun had already set and the darkness was starting to settle; I was probably the only one left. Silence reigned all over the campus. It was slightly unnerving._

 _The tranquil peace was broken when I heard a clash of steel on steel from outside. Breaking from my trance, I rushed to see what the commotion was about. The scene that greeted me there made me pause in fear, awe, and disbelief._

 _There in the courtyard just outside the dojo, two beings (for I doubt they were anything human) battled it out in a combat of supernatural intensity. A spot of red, a touch of blue. A torrent of sparks flew and craters appeared where they met, moving so fast my eyes could barely keep up. I blinked, taking an involuntary step back. I wish I didn't._

 _When they turned their attention to me, I felt my blood freeze. A sense of fight or flight blared in my mind. I chose the latter._

 _I ran as fast as I could—up the stairs, inside a building, through the corridors. It didn't matter though. In the end, the blue one caught up with me. He appeared in a shimmer of broken lights, as if he'd been using a glamour of invisibility all along._

" _Sorry, kid," he said in a half apologetic, half amused tone, "Nothing personal."_

 _And then he thrusted his blood red spear through my heart…_

* * *

I awoke with a gasp, my hands grasping my chest as phantom pain made my body curl. Goose bumps traced my arm, sweat trickling from my forehead and the back of my neck. It was only as I looked out the window did I realized that I merely had a dream. A very bad dream, I supposed, if the feeling of dread left in its aftermath was anything to go by. The dream seemed so vivid and yet, I could barely recall what it was—as if it was a memory instead of a dream. And just like all the memories I have of my past, I couldn't dredge it up anymore no matter how hard I tried. Still, a shadow of the nightmare lingered at the back of my head like a looming specter, whispering vague episodes of unknown circumstances from the life I left behind.

Tentatively, I sat up from my bed and ran a hand through my hair. I stood in front of the tiny window of my rented room to breathe in the cold pre-dawn breeze. The sky was still dark and I figure Manato's group was still asleep.

As promised, Manato and his party mates took me with them to the reserve force lodge. According to Manato, the lodge was open to all Crimson Moon, whether they be trainees or official members. The only difference was that certified members of the Crimson Moon were allowed to stay free of charge while the trainees pay ten coppers for a room each night. Manato and the other boys settled on a small room with two bunkbeds while the girls on another room and then split the fees among themselves to save up money. I rented a room for myself as well although it seemed like a waste since every room had either two to three bunkbeds and its not like I had anyone to share the room with. The beds itself wasn't even that comfortable; its mattress was nothing but a layer of broken twigs and the blanket was an itchy sheet of straws. No wonder we were the only residents here. The whole place was pretty decrepit and no well-earning Crimson Moon member would bear such poor accommodations when they could afford better.

Before taking a bath last night, the team took me to a kebab shop where one kebab was worth four coppers. The kebab was fairly spiced and was relatively big, so I slept with quite a satisfied stomach despite the unfortunate state of my sleeping arrangements. Now that I'm awake, I felt like stretching my muscles. I followed my instincts and performed a series of stretches, push-ups, sit-ups, and a bit of calisthenics until the stiffness in my muscles was gone. I think it was a practiced regime of my past self. That reminded me, I have many injuries yesterday but when I woke up, I felt nothing, not even a slight discomfort. Checking my body confirmed my suspicions. All my injuries were gone—completely healed, as if nothing happened yesterday. Wow. Was that _normal_?

After taking a brief bath, I went to the kitchen to see what I could do for breakfast. The kitchen was very primitive—no electric stove or even a gas fueled one. Wait, what's an electric stove? Ugh, never mind. An unkempt fireplace was fixed on a wall and a stack of woods sat at a corner a few meters away from it. Two long rickety wooden chairs were on opposite sides of a matching unbalanced wooden table. The cupboards were at least full of supplies and ingredients but the utensils were quite in a bad shape. It seemed Manato and his friends had not settled in that well yet. Regardless, I was still excited to finally cook something a bit more complex than that bland roasted deer.

Folding up the sleeve of my shirt to my elbows, I readied myself to set the kitchen to rights. If I'm going to stay here for a while, I might as well make it more presentable and comfy. For some reason, I can't tolerate a disorganized kitchen, or anything really but mostly a kitchen. The mere sight of it irritated me.

The sun had already begun its rise when the first of my fellow trainees finally awoke. Moguzo stumbled down the kitchen as he rubbed sleep off his eyes.

"Good morning, Moguzo," I greeted him with a smile as I flipped an omelet in the air.

"G'd morning'," the large boy replied. "Whatcha doin?"

I guess Moguzo's pretty lethargic in the morning. "Cooking us all breakfast."

At the word 'cooking', Moguzo perked up. "Oh. I forgot to tell you. You don't have to do that. We always split the chores here and we still haven't given you your share of work. Cooking meals is usually assigned to me."

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling like an intruder but refused to back down. Hey, this is my kitchen now. I hereby claim ownership to it! "I just felt like cooking, is all. I didn't want to impose."

"'S okay," Moguzo assured me, although I could tell that he was a bit apprehensive to see me comfortably working around the kitchen. "I'll just make myself some coffee and I'll lend you a hand. I like cooking, too."

"Thanks," I said, reluctant, "but you don't have to."

Moguzo plastered an uneasy smile. "I want to," he said, "I insist."

I looked at him and saw determination in his eyes. For what I've seen of him so far, Moguzo was a silent and reserved guy. He was naturally kind and gentle, but a bit lacking on the intelligence department. He was always so unguarded and sincere; it was really hard to not like him. I guess I could be inclined to _share_ …

By the time the rest of the trainees joined us for breakfast, we have pretty much cooked a small feast.

"What's the occasion?" Haruhiro asked, his eyes still sleepy. Oh, wait. They always looked like that.

"Wow, you guys really cooked up a storm!" Yume enthusiastically added, looking at the small spread with wonder.

"A breakfast for a King!" Ranta declared loudly. "I approve of your tribute to your King, lowly peasants! Of course, the King is no other than yours truly! I am the King of Grub! All food belongs to me!"

"This all looks delicious," Manato said. "But I do hope you didn't use up all our supplies. We've been pretty down on our earnings so we need to be more prudent," he added worriedly.

"It's all good. Me and Shirou left some for a few more meals," Moguzo answered, his hand scratching the back of his head in an embarrassed gesture. "Actually, Shirou did most of the work. By the time I woke, he's already half done."

The other party members gave me awed looks.

"Shirou is really talented," Shihoru stated with a small deferential smile, probably voicing what the rest of them thought.

When we were all finally seated and discussing our plans for today, Manato asked me if I'd already chose which guild to join.

"I have a couple in mind," I answered. "I'm still having a hard time choosing between those though. Would you mind giving me more insight on what each of your roles are? I figured that since each of you had joined different guilds, I may have an easier time choosing if I hear first-hand experience from all of you."

Manato thoughtfully hummed. "Well, I'm a priest and basically, a priest heals their party mates. A priest is one of the most important member of a party because a party without one would be constantly at risk of dying from wounds and such. A conventional priest stays at the back of the formation and needs constant protection because our combat capability is pretty limited. As for me, because my friends and I are still learning, all of us who are capable needs to fight on the front, and that includes me although I'm a priest. Besides that, well, we can dispel ghouls. Our patron god is Illuminaris the God of Light, the antithesis of the Deathless King and Skullheil."

"That's _Lord_ Skullheil to you!" Ranta interjected indignantly, spit and morsels of food flying from his mouth. Shihoru winced while Yume glared.

"Lord Skullheil then," Manto corrected himself, humoring Ranta.

"Didn't you hear him, Ranta? Skullheil is Illuminaris' nemesis. Manato shouldn't be healing you at all, let alone revere your god," Haruhiro commented wryly.

"Shut up! Don't give him ideas! Your ideas are always rotten useless. Besides, all life belongs to Lord Skullheil in the end anyways! We all live and die for the glory of Lord Skullheil!"

"Right, whatever," Haruhiro muttered quietly, conceding out of desire to end the subject.

"You rascal! I heard you, you know? Didn't I tell you that I have incredibly awesome hearing? You were insulting me behind my back again! I bet you're calling me curly! I resent being referred to as curly! It's a blight against my existence! I declare the word curly forbidden!"

" _Your_ existence is a blight to the world," Haruhiro mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"Ranta, no one's calling you curly," Yume said, irritated.

"You just did!" Ranta angrily replied. "How dare you call me curly? You have no right to call me curly because your tits are so small they're non-existent, boobless girl!"

"Well, Yume hates Ranta and will ignore him from now on," Yume said with a harrumph.

Manato just shot me an apologetic smile.

"Uhm, I am a mage," Shihoru supplied, helpfully redirecting the conversation. "Mages are long range fighters. We act more like support combatants and usually have destructive powers but were very fragile. When our magical energy is depleted, we are quite vulnerable. Like priests, we also need to meditate to regain our mana. I, I am not very proficient with my magic yet, but I'm doing my best."

"You don't have any patron deities like the other guilds?" I asked.

"N-none that I am informed of, but some of the dark mages follow the path of the Deathless King," Shihoru answered.

"Warriors don't have one, too," Moguzo interjected. When I looked at him in askance, he added, "Well, we have code of honors and stuffs. Rules and regulations we need to follow at all times. Warriors protects their party mates and acts as tanks and heavy hitters. We're always supposed to be on the frontline."

"Yeah," Manato affirmed. "Warriors and Priests should never be absent from a party. The warrior always takes the vanguard, and a priest watches the back."

"And the rest of us are just cannon fodder," Haruhiro deadpanned with a shrug.

"Psh. Maybe you are, Haruhiro. But not awesome Dread Knights like me!" Ranta butted in.

"No, you're worse. All you do is whine and ran away," Haruhiro replied dryly. "You're noisy and rush in recklessly that's why we always lose the element of surprise."

"That's because stealth is tactics for a coward like you! Dread Knights don't fear anything! I am the bravest Dread Knight here so that goes a million times over for me! I am the Lord of the Bravehearts!"

"Thieves don't fight head on," Haruhiro told me as he slouched on his seat, thoughtfully picking on his food as he talked. "We flit around in shadows and stab enemies where they least expect. We don't worship any deities nor do we have any rules or regulations, but we do have codes of conduct. Thieves don't steal on fellow thieves or their comrades, and that extends to all of Crimson Moon. A party is allowed only one thief, because it's an unspoken rule among us not to operate on another's turf. Other than that, everything's free game."

"Like an Assassin, huh," I muttered.

"I guess," Haruhiro said.

"Yume thinks Haru is not a baron coder," Yume said supportively.

"' _Cannon fodder',_ Yume, not _'baron coder'_ ," Haruhiro corrected.

"What he said," Yume amended, undeterred. "At least Haru helps the party. Yume's master said she makes a terrible hunter. Yume can't even shoot with her bow or track game. Although Yume feels sad about that, Eldritch sometimes visits Yume's dreams and reassures her. She appears as a huge white wolf and she'd let Yume ride on her back and sleep on her soft fur."

"Tsk, tsk," clicked Ranta condescendingly. "Why are we even listening to this incessant blabber of nonsense? Really? That's so childish Yume."

Yume gave him a glare, and then decided to just ignore him. "Eldritch is the Goddess of the Hunt and she shows herself to hunters in the form of a white wolf. Her archrival is a black wolf named Rigel. He is the God of the Night. Yume's master told her that the two wolves had been warring since the beginning of Grimgar."

"So, if I joined two guilds, would it be allowed?" I asked.

"I'm pretty sure there's no specific rule against it, but having multiple guilds is highly discouraged. I think only the most skilled and experienced could juggle two jobs, much less pay for it," Manato explained. "You see, when you join a guild you have to pay eight silvers, and that's just for your enlistment, although they do teach the most basic of basics of their craft to get you started. The more advanced skills and abilities you have to pay more and devote more of your time to the guild. It's pretty tedious, time consuming, and expensive, to be honest. I think only the most desperate would choose to change guilds or even join another when they already have one."

"I see," I said.

"Well, we do can earn other titles though," Manato said. "For example, when a warrior is knighted, he'll be referred to as no longer a Warrior but a Knight, although he's still a part of the Warriors Guild. Priests and Mages could become Shamans, Magicians, Sorcerers, and so forth given their particular expertise, strength, and reputation. I think even the civilian guilds have the same system."

I contemplated what Manato said for a while. Even after the meal was over and he party had bade their good-byes to me so they could head on to another incursion through the woods, I was still considering what my next step should be.

I only have nine more silvers and twenty-seven coppers. If I paid the eight silvers required to join a guild, that leaves me with just one more silver and twenty-seven coppers. Given, if I do finish the one-week training for the guild, I could finally sell the loot from the mud goblins. However, that was another can of worms in itself entirely.

Despite how fighting seemed to come so easily to me, killing made my stomach churn. It went against everything I stood for that even taking the life of those mud goblins out of self-defense nagged at my conscience.

When Bri told me that Altana defended and protected itself from monsters in the frontier, I thought he meant literal mindless killing machines that obliterate everything in its path with no purpose nor reason. What I saw yesterday, those creatures weren't mindless. They were a people—they have families, communities, way of life, traditions, emotions; killing them just to loot their belongings was no different than mugging a fellow human. It was wrong and I didn't like it. Unfortunately, considering my circumstances and the whole point of being a trainee reservist soldier, it seemed like killing the other races was the only way I could earn a living.

Why am I here? Who am I? Where is here?

I think none of my existential questions have ever been answered. I have slept a night in this world and woke up with no goal or objective but to keep existing. Being a trainee of the Crimson Moon and fighting preconceived 'monsters', although grand and noble, seemed like a very shallow purpose. To help others was to empathize with them, but I cannot understand them if I didn't even know who I am. I felt so empty. My home… where is home?

Unconsciously, my fingers seek the smooth jeweled surface of the pendant in my pocket.

Wherever I came from, whatever world that was, I'll find a way back. From now on, that would be my goal. If I have to reorganize this whole world and turn it upside down just to achieve that goal, I will do it.

* * *

Before joining a guild, I decide to follow Haruhiro's advice to set up an account in Yorozu's Bank.

Yorozu's Bank wasn't hard to find. Well, considering it was a large, thick-walled stone building with a bright, showy golden sign, it was certainly difficult to miss. The inside was as grand as I'd expected, I thought, passing through the hallway and towards the counter above a series of stone steps.

Standing in front of the counter, I blinked my eyes to make sure that I was seeing the real thing. Behind the counter was a small girl sitting on a large leather chair, wearing fancy red and white clothes lined with gold. On her right eye was a golden monocle while she seeped delicately on a golden pipe. She sat with a dignified air—regal and respectable.

"Good morning," I greeted hesitantly.

"At least you're polite," the girl said haughtily, taking the pipe away from her mouth. "Haven't seen your face before. New Crimson Moon trainee, I gather?"

I cleared my throat and inconspicuously straightened my clothes. "Yes," I answered.

"Very well," she said. She sat straight and primly put her hands on the table. "I am Yorozu, fourth generation. I flawlessly memorize the first and last names, facial appearance, deposits and balances, and all transaction records of all clients. However, I also keep paper records for the sake of those whose memories aren't as perfect as mine. So, proceeding to business, what's your name?"

I felt quite intimidated. She stated everything with absolute self-assurance and decorum that if she wasn't so small and her voice wasn't so pitchy, I might've forgot she was a child around a decade old. I guess Huruhiro was right. She was definitely supercilious and articulate. Haruhiro also told me that she had quite the memory. I'd hate to leave her with a bad impression to remember me with.

"Shirou," I said as clearly as I could.

She reached to take an account book lying in the counter and opened it to a new page, neatly scribbling my name on the top of it. "There. You can now partake business with Yorozu's Bank."

"I see," I muttered. "Could I forgo depositing anything today? I just wanted to set up an account."

"That's fine," the girl said dismissively. "Please feel free to come back whenever you need our services. Our business hours is from seven in the morning to seven in the evening and we are open all year round. Whatever you need, whenever you need, this fourth-generation Yorozu will be here to process your every request at the service counter."

"You work here all day?" I asked in shock. "Aren't you a little too young?"

I think she misinterpreted my intentions because she scoffed at me, looking me in the eye with a condescending glare. "Let me assure you, Shirou, although this fourth-generation Yorozu is young, she's a perfect Yorozu. Keep that in mind and never mistake to underestimate me."

"I didn't mean to offend," I told her, placating. "I don't doubt your abilities as a Yorozu, it's just, you're a kid. I don't think you should be taking on that huge of a responsibility when you should be enjoying your childhood. Haven't you ever went outside for a while just to enjoy yourself?"

She scoffed again. "You expect me, a fourth-generation Yorozu, to indulge herself in idle and superfluous activities such as gallivanting outside? I am this bank's representative, President, and CEO. I have no time to waste for such frivolous things."

I see she's quite convinced that what she does was really her lot in life.

"It's never wrong to have fun," I countered. "If there's anything you need help with—"

"Do you have any more business with Yorozu?" she interrupted. When I shook my head, she waved her hand in a shooing gesture, expression impassive. "Then have a good day, Mr. Shirou."

Knowing I've already overstayed my welcome, I waved her a good day as well and left the bank. Well, not without reiterating that I'd be sure to help if she ever need anything but she just gave me a terse smile.

As I wandered around the familiar busy cobblestone pathways of Altana, I felt someone following me. I didn't know how I knew but my intuition just kept blurring and the hairs at the back of my neck just won't settle. Whoever was following me, they had no hostile intent. I still felt uneasy, though.

Taking refuge within the first open structure I could find, I ducked inside a smithy. Peering outside, I tried to find who my stalker was. There was a lot of people meandering about outside so I couldn't be sure. My intuition seemed to be a little dull.

I was broken out of my reverie when a clang resounded inside the room. It caught my attention not because it was loud, but because it was familiar. When I turned to see what it was, I saw the owner of the smithy in front of his hearth, pounding a long piece of metal with his hammer. He was so focused on his work that he hadn't notice my entrance. Not that I noticed him either, to be honest; I was also focused on his work.

 _Clang!_

I felt my soul resonate with that sound. Something inside of me was drawn to it.

Images flashed in my mind—rapid, vague, and without meaning.

I saw a great fire. Death. Corpses by the hundreds. I heard their wails of agony and their cries for salvation only to be consumed all the same.

I saw myself, sitting in a dimly lit room alone while holding a rod. Green lines snaked from my arm towards the rod. I didn't know it, but I have unconsciously muttered the words that came from the vision of my self's mouth.

 _ **Trace on**_ _…_

My vision turned white.

I held my head between my hands as my brain seemed to convulse. Green and obsidian lines lit my body as dark wisps of black miasma leaked from my skin. I must have lasted a minute before passing out, all the while, a voice from my memory echoed inside my mind…

" _I ask of you, are you my master?"_

"Sa… ber…"


	5. Chapter V: The Two Wolves

**Chapter V: The Two Wolves**

When I woke up after that episode in the smithy, I was disoriented and more confused. The blacksmith whom had been inside the structure was worriedly hovering above me, but I assured him that I was fine. Apparently, I was only out for a few minutes. The sensation of its aftermath made my nerves ripple, though. It's a feeling that I hope study and rationalize later. Perhaps it will help me learn more about myself.

Taking a minute to place myself, I tried to remember what was my plans before I came into the smithy. That's when I realize that I was supposed to be joining a guild. After much contemplation and hesitation, I finally decided to join the Hunters Guild. There's a lot of things I still don't know about myself, but I think I had an affinity with the bow and dual wielding, which was the usual weapons of a Hunter.

I walked to the edge of town where the greenery was thick and luscious trees melded completely with the civilization. The Guild House of the Hunters was built in tune with nature, a low structure that was made out of stone and wood, with animal pens outside and an archery range. It was one of the reasons why I chose to be a Hunter, to be honest, because Hunters were all about respect—respect of the wild, their prey, respect of their guardian deities.

The seven day's training of a Hunter was for the crash course, apparently, wherein New Members learned the most basic of basic in their chosen guild. Seven days of grueling practice of repetition for which I paid with eight silvers. Of course, that included the housing and meals.

"The two wolves of Grimgar are opposing deities that represented the disparate extremes of this world; black and white, night and day, good and bad.

"Eldritch is the White Wolf, the Goddess of the Hunt. She's the protector of the forest and the guide of hunters. Her archrival is the Black Wolf, Rigel. Rigel is the God of the Night, a frightening figure that engendered malevolence. He stalks the shadow of the moon, a great predator lurking in the darkness with every intention of preying on those who wander the woods with a faint of heart.

"The wolves had been warring since the beginning of Grimgar, but they are not inherently enemies. Although they are embodiments of opposing virtues—one of kindness, truth, generosity, benevolence, and empathy while the other of greed, lies, resentment, arrogance, false pride, and envy, a good hunter respects both of them for they are but two parts of the same whole, and a balance must exist between them lest they rend the world into ruin," Hotarou told, watching as the embers of the burning coals crackled and hissed while I stroke the fire, and thus, keeping our small camp warm.

I listened carefully, nursing a cup of tea on my hand while prodding the flames. My assigned mentor had the tendency to ramble on about something or other that I learned to just let him drawl on unhindered by my inquiries and curiosity.

Hotarou was detached and laidback, almost lazy and impassive most of the time. Draped in gaudy black robes and old worn out straps and boots with his unkempt beard and the musky scent of liquor clinging to his form, Hotarou was the very picture of a veteran gone past his prime and had resigned to wasting his life for no purpose. The man was a reputable Bounty Hunter in his younger days, unmatched in his skills with the bow and arrow and almost terrifying with dual blade wielding. Unfortunately, there was something that happened—something he didn't want to talk about, which crippled him forever. Now, he couldn't get anywhere without his trusty wooden cane and flask of alcohol, earning his living by being a Guild Master and mentoring the suicidal new recruits of the Reserve Force instead of trawling the frontier's wilderness like the venerated hunter he was. Don't get him wrong, Hotarou could still hunt and fight if opportunity and circumstance called for it, but he wasn't as passionate about his chosen career anymore. I stumbled upon him when I enlisted for the Hunters Guild, and he was the only Master available currently. Hotarou's indifferent and languid attitude made him a difficult teacher, but the man seemed to have quickly warmed up to me, much to my relief and annoyance. The man had grown awfully overbearing and indolent as the days of his mentoring passed that he easily bossed me around when he's coherent, and throw insults off-handedly when he's not.

Today was the seventh and last day of our mentorship, that is if I decided not to learn anymore advance skills from him. Tomorrow, I will finally become a full-fledged Hunter. Besides the basic skills, [Track] and [Snipe] that were mandatorily taught to fresh members, I learned nothing else from joining the guild; Hotarou had refused to teach me nothing else without payment though I had mastered the skills almost effortlessly. In all honestly, I think my training days have passed like a blur despite the fact that it was supposed to be really daunting for green recruits like me. I had the distinct impression that all I did in the guild was look after Hotarou's mess and take care of him when he's completely wasted. The man was annoyingly hopeless.

"You know, kid," Hotarou said after taking a gulp from his flask, "you are the most reliable student I had in all my years as a Guild Master. I'll definitely feel your absence after tonight."

"Hmm, are you saying you'll miss me, Hotarou-san?" I asked, chuckling.

"You wish, boy. I just want a doormat to step all over on," Hotarou answered with a harrumph, although his lips twitched to a smile. "You come to me when you want to learn advance Hunter Skills, yeah?"

"I bet you just want someone to baby you," I replied teasingly.

"Hah!" he grunted, amused. "Right, you little rascal."

He twirled his flask for a moment, mulling something, and continued,

"You're a good kid, one of the most promising student I've come across. I've been around for a long time, boy—too long. I've probably been like you in my youth, confused, lost with nothing but the strange clothes on my back when I came to. Can't remember any of that anymore. Now I'm just a resigned old man in a foreign world."

"You look barely past your thirties, Hotarou-san," I pointed out.

"Thirties, huh," he said, taking another gulp of his alcoholic beverage. "That's more than the life expectancy rate 'round here. Most don't even live beyond their teens. That's the fate of us reservist soldiers, I suppose; natural selection at its finest. Maybe I'm just a tough weed nature can't get rid of," he added, laughing aloud.

His laugh was hollow, mirthless.

Everyone in Altana lost something or someone in some way, and Hotarou was no exception. I didn't know what it was that made him so embittered and glum, but it must have meant a lot to him. I wonder if I had lost something like that in my unknown past, if I ever will. Would I ever be as bitter as him?

I frowned when pain spiked in my head, a man in red and black with a self-depreciating smirk flashing in the forefront of my mind. I saw him standing atop a desolate hill of swords, blood dripping from his hands. I laid down the cup on my hand to grip my head, trying to hold on to the image but it was long gone before I could touch my skin; it receded to the deepest recesses of my memory with the familiar ache.

"Hmm," Hotarou hummed, seeing my pained expression. "It's late. You should get some sleep. I'll give you something special for your graduation tomorrow."

"Thanks, Hotarou-san."

The man grunted again, laying on his back on the make shift bed I prepared for him in the opposite side of the campfire.

During the seven days that I've trained with Hotarou, we never slept indoors. It was always under the light of the stars with a fire burning beside us and the wilderness about us. I can't say that the bumpy hard ground and thin blankets were more comfortable than the hay and twigs in the lodge.

I watched the stars for a bit, trying to number them or recognize a constellation. The unearthly red moon hovered above like a condescending reminder that this was not a world of my own—that I didn't belong here. My skin prickled when a breeze blew by; it was cold outside even when the fire crackled merrily, it's embers rising like flickering fireflies. A minute passed and Hotarou was already snoring, drowning out the steady hum of the crickets' chirps.

I sat up from my bed and watched the fire for a little while longer. Taking a deep breath, I tried to remember that day—the feeling I felt before I lost my consciousness. It almost seemed like it was yesterday; I can still feel the burn in my spine as it spread throughout my body, like a cackling flame that threatened to consume my whole being.

Picturing a strange mechanism in my mind, I extended my hand in front of me, palms towards the sky and chanted,

" **Trace on."**

 _Clang._

Something in me clicked on, making my body hum. I concentrated on my open palm, drawing all the strange feeling towards it. Motes of blue light gathered in my hand, and then my dagger materialized solidly within it. I twirled the hunting knife in my hand, observing it curiously. I glanced at the original knife sheathed on its strap laid with my strange coat not too far from me almost unbelievingly.

I've been practicing this particular queer ability since I realized it was something I could do, but only when I'm alone and unwatched. Doing it in the open made me apprehensive, as if it was a deeply rooted instinct within myself to keep it secretive. Discovering this ability was really staggering, especially since it enabled me to sympathize with any bladed weapon in a single glance; how it was made, whom it was that created it, how it was used, and who used it since the moment it was crafted. More than once did it made me wonder who the heck was I before I lost my memory.

I played with the dagger for a bit, twirling it around and cataloging its history in my head. I could _trace_ all the weapons in the Hunters Guild I've seen and used; I remember them fully when I picture them, but I didn't know how their info were stored in my head. Willing the knife to disappear, the dagger faded with a flash of broken blue lights.

I traced a few more weapons I could recall before laying back on my bed, crossing my arms under my head as I gazed at the stars. I counted five shooting stars before I finally fell asleep, my dreams visited by black and white wolves in a world filled with swords.

Graduation was a simple affair. I was given worn out hand-me-down equipment from the guild—a functional long bow, a quiver, and clothes that identified me as an official Hunter, like the archer's gloves and sturdy old boots.

Hotarou gave me a 'good luck and don't die too soon' speech with a pat on the back, and his two old sabers as a gift. Looking at the twin swords almost made me nostalgic and I almost grabbed at them greedily, but the details of Houtaou's tragic past entwined with it caused me to falter.

These two sabers were his Guild Master's trusted companions all throughout his eventful and adventurous glory days, along with five more of his party mates, and a massive wolf he called Ryuuk. A clash with elves—dangerously beautiful and ethereal creatures, destroyed their group, and the only two surviving members were all that remained—a slinky Thief, and a broken Hunter.

"I can't possibly," I said, eyes widening. These sabers meant a lot to Hotarou, I could deduce that even without my ability to see through weapons. The edges were sharp and polished almost lovingly; a testament to how much the man had looked after the beautifully intricate weapon despite its dormancy for almost seven years.

"Take it, Shirou," Hotarou said. "You're a good kid. I can't think of anyone else better to have them than you. They've been bored stiff since I've retired from active quests; I can just feel them thirsting for blood in this past years of humdrum."

I gingerly received them from Hotarou, brandishing them almost in a manner familiar with the swords, which caused him to smile, his eyes turning glossy.

"Good, then," Hotarou said with a nod. "You are now officially a Hunter."

* * *

"Found him."

Red eyes opened with a mischievous glint, a toothy grin stretching his lips as his sight landed on his prospective apprentice. The light from his jeweled sword receded, enshrouding the room back to the dimness of the candlelight.

Tohsaka Tokiomi's old workshop seemed to have shrunk with the mere presence of the Dead Apostle Ancestor. He held his cane in one hand and his famed Jeweled Sword in the other, his black clothes almost blending in with the darkness.

"Where? Can you take me to him?" Rin demanded, her arms crossed on her chest. Saber, Arthuria Pendragon, was quiet beside her, her brows furrowed with anxiety.

The Old Man of the Jewels' grin only widened. "Yes, yes, of course," he replied, almost zealous. "You can go to him, but it would only be a one way trip. You have to figure out how to return on you own."

"What do you mean?" Rin asked.

"Your Emiya Shirou is lost in a world akin to a dungeon. Doors existed in its every nook and cranny, if you know how to look of course. Those doors lead to the vast expanse of the multiverse, and you will never know where each door will take you. It's a confusing labyrinth, even for me, and I rather watch the three of you fumble around amusingly to find your way back to alleviate my boredom than go to all the trouble of navigating that."

The red-garbed magus huffed at the user of the Second Magic. "I shouldn't be surprised," she said disdainfully.

"Now, now, none of that, my dear apprentice," he replied easily. "I'm just trying to help," Rin rolled her eyes at this, "and I'll even throw you a bone." He pointed his sword at the duo, it flashed once, and then nothing.

"Wha—" Rin yelped, at the fleeting warm feeling that enveloped her. "What did you do?"

The ancient vampire just grinned. "So, are you ready?"


	6. Chapter VI: The Faker

**Chapter VI: The Faker**

Feeling a bit more at home in the streets of Altana with my new getup, I walked towards our lodge with more certainty and confidence. I wonder what Manato and his party mates would say when they found out I joined the Hunter's Guild. They already had a Hunter and their party was already full, so I doubt they will invite me in. It's no problem, I suppose. I can just find another party or hunt on my own. Being a Bounty Hunter like Hotarou was didn't seem like a bad idea either.

 _I can earn some serious money, and kill bad monsters at the same time,_ I thought with a chuckle.

At the thought of the Guild Master, my hands found the hilts of the two sabers he gave me. For some reason, their grip were somewhat wrong. I thought they were more curved, and had contrasting colors. _Huh?_ Must be my imagination.

When I arrived at the Reserve Force Lodge, I was disappointed to find that Manato's party was not there. They were probably out on a quest, I concluded, considering it was still early mid-morning. After all, Manato was still too concerned about the skills of his party that he'd never let them stay out beyond sunset.

Dropping my gears on my bunkbed, I decided to head out to the market and sell the loot I gained from the mudgobs I encountered on my first day in Grimgar. The three wolf fangs from the necklaces earned me a silver each, and the leather pouch along with its content of jagged, muddy, precious stones had totaled to a staggering thirty-seven silvers. With this, I can already buy my contract and become a full-fledged Reservist Soldier, and then some.

I glanced at the overflowing pouch on one hand, and the remaining silvers on the other. The silver coins were considerably larger and thicker than the copper coins, so despite the fact that I could fit a lot of coppers in the pouch, filling it with this much silver was another matter entirely. "It's full," I muttered with a bit of displeasure.

"You should put some in Yorozu's," the man whom had appraised my loots said helpfully.

"Oh, you're right," I replied, smiling gratefully at the merchant. "Thanks."

"I live to serve," he answered smoothly. "Is there anything else I can do for you? Care to peruse some more on my merchandise and perhaps find something you like?"

"No, thank you," I declined politely. "Maybe next time."

I left the marketplace with more money than I have when I came, heading purposely to Yorozu's Bank. Just as the first time I had entered the gilded structure, I was still awed by the sheer opulence of it. The little girl with the pipe was exactly where she was as well, sitting comfortably on her lavish chair that could probably fit three more of her and still have some space to spare.

"Back so soon, and a Hunter, huh?" the little girl commented, seeping methodically on her pipe and blowing smoke on my face. "What business do you have today with Yorozu?"

Coughing at the smoke she bellowed, I glared at her. "Will you stop that?! You're what, ten? And you're already smoking. You'll regret that when you're older and cancer is eating at your lungs."

Yorozu stared at me for a minute. "What's cancer?" she asked curiously.

I tilted my head thoughtfully, my mind running in blanks. "Probably something really bad," I answered, trying to look grim with the hesitation in my voice.

She raised her brow at me, and then blew some more smoke. _Ugh._

"I'll repeat, what business do you have today with Yorozu?" she said with a deadpan.

"I'm depositing money," I said, grouching at her behavior. Thirty-eight silver pieces clattered atop her table. I decided not to buy my full contract as a Reservist Soldier yet. I'd check out around and do some ground work first before going in headfirst into another unspecified agreement. Besides, buying my contract so early was just unfair to Manato's group. They arrived here earlier than I did, and they had done nothing but help me, so I didn't want to offend them by promptly surpassing their rank. At least I should mention it to them first.

"Hmm, you work fast," she said, glancing at the silver coins and then at me. "I should upgrade my initial assessment of you."

Yorozu rang a bell on her table, its melodious chime echoing within the halls, and a neatly uniformed man came to the table with a wooden box. He collected my silvers, and then disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

The petite girl retrieved her ledger and opened it on the page with my name on it. "Thirty-eight silvers under Shirou's account," she declared as she penned the amount in her elegant scripts. "There, done. Anything else?"

"No, nothing else," I said with a shake of my head.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you. Please come again," she replied dismissively.

I think I knew enough when someone was shooing me out, so I decided to just leave the prodigious little girl alone. "If ever you need anything, you can just tell me, ne?" I told her with a wave.

She scoffed, putting her golden pipe back in her mouth.

I'll take that as an affirmative, then.

I walked out of the bank with a lighter pocket, but none the poorer when I entered it. I head back to the Reserve Force Lodge since it's nearing noon, and by extension, lunch. I smiled at the prospect of having to cook something. Arriving back at the lodge, I found the landlady climbing up a ladder towards the roof. It almost gave me a heart attack, considering the woman was quite old and robust. I was afraid the steep wooden ladder would break and she'd fall on her back.

"Ma'am, what are you doing?" I asked, hoping not to startle her and fulfil my fears.

She glanced at me behind her shoulder. "Hullo," she greeted. "You are one of the tenants, yes?" At my nod, she continued, "Well, I am just checking the roofs. Thunderstorms came and went for the past week, and it had been leaking buckets."

It did rain during my training with Hotarou, but they were brief and completely random. One moment the sky was clear, and the next there would be a downpour. It was a good thing that the Guild House was surrounded by forestry, and Hotarou came prepared with tents to set up. Apparently, thunderstorms were commonplace in this time of the year in Altana.

"Then please let me help," I pleaded. "I'll fix the roof for you, ma'am."

"Oh, goodness gracious," the landlady said. "That would be lovely, young'un. These ancient bones of mine are old and creaky, strenuous activities had been out of my agenda for decades now. I feel sad that my lodge had not received much care for so long and had fallen into decay. Thank you very much for the help."

"It's no problem, ma'am," I replied with a smile, watching as she came down the ladder. "I like fixing things."

"What a wonderful boy," she admired. I can't help the blush that crept to my face and scratched the back of my head.

As I fixed the roof for her, she stayed with me and entertained me with her tales.

According to her, the Reserve Force Lodge was almost as old as Altana itself. When the Undying Empire fell into disarray and the Aravakia Kingdom had built the stronghold, it was then that my kind of people suddenly started appearing. People with no memory of their past and had no identity to speak of except their names. Usually, they came in droves, and yet they were around the same ages. The Duke of Altana became concerned of what would happen to them, so he established Crimson Moon, a Reserve Force open for kids like us, so we'd have a purpose and a way to earn our living.

Back then, the enlistment recompense were not much at all, considering the city of Altana was just barely established. A lot of them died on a first encounter with the other races, and those who survived wandered around with no place to go. It was then that the Reserve Force Lodge was built, so the reservist soldiers and trainees would have a place to call their own. The Duke and the Crimson Moon both contributed in the funding of the Reserve Force Lodge, but it wasn't much. Just enough to keep the roof intact and the walls from crumbling into dust.

Madame Gilda, the landlady, had been in charge of the place for almost fifty years.

As a thank you for helping her fix the roof, she'd invited me to lunch. She was a really good cook, and I can't help but admire her culinary skills. Fortunately, she was a very generous old lady, and she had shared with me her secret recipes when she realized my fascination with cooking. I bade her goodbye with a good heart.

I spent the remaining afternoon familiarizing myself with Hotarou's sabers. I felt like cheating when I absorbed the history of the swords and performed advanced skills that I hadn't paid for. It couldn't be helped, however, because it was the man himself whom had given me the swords. That was his loss, I supposed, but I think I hadn't thanked him enough.

Incorporating skills with my moves was quite fascinating, I realized. It's like, I just have to will the skill and it would infuse my entire body, making my moves automatic and not completely mine. For example, when I use [Snipe] with the bow and arrow I was given, it's as if my eyes suddenly improves, getting clearer and zoomed in while my arrow will sail more accurately. The skill [Track] slightly enhanced my senses, my sense of smell and hearing to be specific, and it also lightened my steps and adjusted my shadow. I think it had something to do with the world itself, something in it was influencing my body, or perhaps my mind or maybe my soul, into executing the skills. It was disconcerting, but undoubtedly helpful.

Hotarou's advanced dual wielding wasn't any different. There was a wide variety of skills he had gained during his eight years of active duty as a Reservist Soldier, and it was exhilarating to practice them. I think Hotarou was like a semi-assassin when he used his twin sabers, considering his favorite skills were [Bouncing Blades] and [Shunpo] by the time he earned his designation as a Bounty Hunter. [Bouncing Blades] makes him throw one or both of his swords and it ricochets from his enemies no matter if it embedded itself in their flesh, and then incorporated with [Shunpo], he could appear where his blades had landed on the ground and retrieve them in a blink of an eye. [Crescent Strike] was also interesting because the blades goes on a wide arch when thrown, and [Dual Cross] was a devastating unavoidable move.

There were more, and I was really staggered to learn all of them by merely holding the swords. Whoever I was before I lost my memory, I must have been really broken. Like a hax, or a cheat; a faker.

 _Faker_. That certainly sounds familiar.

It was nearing sunset when Manato and his team came back from their quest, looking haggard but satisfied. They seemed to have earned considerably today. I knew it without asking them; just looking at their weapons was enough.

"Hey guys!" I greeted when I saw them from where I was resting in the courtyard.

"Oh, hey, Shirou," Manato greeted back with a smile. He and his party walked towards my direction. "So you joined the Hunters Guild, after all."

Yume beamed at me. "Yume is happy that Shirou decided to be a Hunter. Have Shirou been visited in his dreams by Eldritch yet?"

I nodded at her. "Yeah," I answered. "She and Rigel came, I think, just last night."

"Oh, that is very strange! I hope that's not bad luck. The wolves appearing in a Hunter's dream means they're blessing them. Rigel never comes to Yume's dreams," she said pensively.

"I certainly hope not," I said, growing anxious. Does that mean Rigel blessed me as well?

"Oooh, that's enough Hunter talk. You're both making my ears bleed," Ranta butted in, annoyed. "Guess what, Shirou? We warned a lot today! No, scratch that, we've been earning a lot this past week! And it's all because of me! Oh, damn, I'm so awesome!" Ranta bragged.

"You're so full of yourself, Ranta," Haruhiro commented dryly. "It was mostly Manato's initiative that we had as much success. Mapping Damroww was a great idea."

"Oh, shut up, will you?" Ranta snapped. "You're ruining the awesomeness I want to portray here."

"You don't need my help ruining your awesomeness," Haruhiro countered. "It already shriveled and died the moment you were born."

Although quite amusing, I ignored the two's almost usual spats.

"Damroww?" I looked in askance to Manato.

"It's an old, ruined city about a couple of hours walk northwest of Altana," answered Manato. "No human lives there anymore, despite that it used to be the second largest city of the Aravakia Kingdom here in the frontier. The Undying Empire had purged it of our race a long time ago, but the slave goblins whom had served the empire rebelled and drove the ghouls out of the city when the Deathless King perished. So, the only things that actually populated it is just goblins. We've been systematically mapping the whole place with Haruhiro and Yume's help, locating the best place to hide and ambush goblins. Mostly, we can only take on three at a time, but all our quest had been relatively successful since we settled on a routine."

"Wow, that's really good to hear," I said, amazed. Compared to the last time I heard of them, barely taking on one, that is, that's certainly a significant improvement.

"Ain't it?" Yume said with a laugh. "We're celebrating later at Sherry's, do you want to come with us?"

"Sherry's?" I asked again in confusion.

"Dude, you really need to get out more!" Ranta said smugly, seemingly letting go of his argument with Haruhiro. I don't think he even remembers what started it in the first place. "It's this amazing place where we can get completely wasted!"

Ranta pronounce 'wasted' as if it's the next best thing that ever happened since pizza was invented, whatever pizza is.

"It's a tavern," Shihoru supplied quietly.

Yume nodded enthusiastically. "Uh-huh. Manato told us that going there is really informative. He gets most of the information he has by talking to regular drunks."

"That's not very nice, Yume," Haruhiro interjected.

"They just want to have a good time and loosen up," Yume amended.

"Oh, okay," I agreed uncertainly.

* * *

Sherry's Tavern was a loud and rambunctious place. Mead and ale flowed like rivers in barrels, and the whole place were filled to the brim. It was a two-storied structure built in wood and stone. The first floor had a bar and counter and a few wooden tables scattered around where nameless trainees could enjoy a cup and a conversation. The upper deck was for the veteran soldiers, those who were on the upper echelons of the Reserve Force Army. Barmaids scuttled everywhere with their trays of steins and other refreshments.

When I walked in with Manato's group, we seemed to gain most if not all the attention of the occupants of the tavern, even some from the upper deck craned their neck.

"Hey, look! It's the Goblin Slayers!" someone shouted. Manato and his party mates blushed.

A round of laughter echoed in the room, and then they all started chanting "Goblin Slayers" as we all found a corner to sit inside.

"Goblin Slayers?" I asked, half-curious and half-amused at their reaction.

Manato smiled uneasily. "It's a moniker we earned for sticking in Damroww every day. We've all but cleaned it of goblins, and they had heard of it, apparently."

"Goblin Slayers," Ranta said, rolling the phrase on his tongue. "It's not that bad of a title, come to think of it."

Haruhiro sighed. "Don't be fooled," he told me. "Despite its glorifying connotation, it's actually a degrading title. Goblins are the weakest race in all of Grimgar, and because they were all that we could ever defeat, the other parties and the veteran soldiers look down on us."

"Well," I said. "I think it's a reputable legacy on your part, if nothing else. Besides, there's nothing wrong with playing it safe."

"I guess you're right," Haruhiro conceded.

Our conversation was interrupted when a sudden silence descended in the Tavern. We looked around to find what caused the change in the atmosphere when a group of six walked inside.

"Hey, look it's Souma!"

"Isn't that Souma?"

"Woah, it _is_ Souma…"

Awed whispers circled around the occupants of the tavern, piquing my curiosity about the party that came in.

The first that I saw was the leader of the party, probably the one called 'Souma'. He was a tall man dressed in a beautifully crafted black armor. It looked light despite its thick and asymmetrical appearance, nothing jutting out of his body or seemingly out of place. Orange light rippled on its surface as he walked, as if it was alive and breathing. A large sword was clasped on his back, long and curved like a katana. Another one was strapped on his hip, only shorter but similar in make.

I grasped my head when I looked at them, scenes of battles flashing about in front of my eyes. The same as when I looked at Hotarou's swords, the history of 'Souma's' swords invaded my mindscape. I felt the man's years of hard-earned skills and abilities carve itself on my soul, just as a fragment of his weapons were now a part of me. It made me nauseous.

"Shirou, are you okay?" I heard Shihoru asked me. It didn't surprise me that she was the first to realize that I wasn't feeling well; I always thought that she emphasize with people more strongly than the rest of her party mates.

"I'm fine," I answered, firmly closing my eyes for a second and opening them to stare only on Shihoru. I won't be stealing anyone's skills anymore today. "Thanks for looking out for me."

"You're welcome," she said, an understanding passing between us.

I hadn't seen the rest of Souma's party mates, but it seems like the rest of Manato's party was awestruck.

"Hey, hey, hey!" An overly hyper, overly happy voice came in. "If it isn't Minacchi and company!" A boy garbed in a warrior getup joined their table and swung his arm on Minato's shoulders. "It's good to see you guys again! I'm doing AWESOME, thanks! Did you see SOUMA! Oh my gosh, isn't he super cool? I never thought I'd see him personally, but I'm so lucky 'cause I saw him personally. Everyone is sooooo lucky!"

"This guy is Kikkawa," Manato introduced him for me. "He was with us when he came here, and he's the one who joined a veteran party after Renji created his own. Kikkawa, this here's Shirou. He's new."

"Oh, oh," the boy said with a sappy grin. He's _totally_ wasted, in Ranta's words. "Nice to meet you, Shicchi!"

"Likewise," I replied amusedly.

"Hey, Kikkawa… who's Souma?" Haruhiro asked.

"Whaaaaaat?! You don't know who SOUMA is? No waaaaaaay! There's nooooo way! Souma is—you know! Souma is the most awesome warrior of Crimson Moon! He's the best! The Warrior of Warriors!"

Kikkawa was spewing fan boyish adulation as he continued, "Some disputes about his abilities, but no one would ever argue that he's the BEST! This is my first time seeing him, but he's really something else, isn't he? Everyone has only the highest of regard for him! I want to be as great as him someday…"

"Hell yeah!" Ranta declared. "Damn! How did he get his hands on that kind of armor? I want something like that, too!"

"I'd like—" Moguzo started, his eyes dropping on the floor, "I'd like a helm. And maybe plate armor. Maybe then, I could be…"

"I want to learn more spells," Shihoru confessed, biting her lip. "I want to be able to help everyone better during fights. I…"

"Yume… Yume wants armor, too," Yume said. "Yume's no good with her bow and arrow, so she'd always had to fight on the front. Yume wants to be stronger so she could protect her team."

Haruhiro and Manato looked at their party mates, a proud smile growing on the face of the latter while the former appeared introspective. Haruhiro seemed to be a bit uncertain as of yet. He hadn't still realized what he wanted to be for his party.

"We're all going to achieve all that," Manato encouraged. "We'll get there, right as high as Souma, or even beyond. One step at a time," he added with a smile.

His party mates returned his smile, duly more pumped with his speech. I realized Manato was a very good leader. He realized the potentials and skills of his team, along with their faults and inadequacies, and then he steered them in the right direction. I can't help but feel a little bit inspired, too.

Tomorrow, maybe I can ask them if I could join their quest in Damroww. If anything, it's a good place to start exploring this World.

* * *

We arrived back in the Reserve Force Lodge with much a lighter heart than when we left. Thankfully, none of us got drunk. Given Ranta got a bit tipsy, but Manato claimed the responsibility of looking after him. Lining up to the bathroom to clean ourselves up before sleeping, we all decided that today was a great and memorable day.

As I laid on the lower bunkbed in my rented room, sleep came to me almost immediately, but it wasn't peaceful. That night, I dreamed of something else…

 _He's dead. He's finally dead._

 _There he lay, his eyes still open as he stared lifelessly towards the starless sky. Blood pooled from the stump where his right arm should have been and the handle of a white falchion stood upright on his forehead. The Golden King is dead._

 _I felt relieved at his death, but there was no satisfaction in it. I was just thankful that everything was finally over._

 _Or so I thought…_

 _A black portal appeared at my feet, and before I could figure what was happening, the portal sucked me in. There was no escaping it, as gravity did not give me a chance._

 _ **The starting penalty is five…**_

 _ **angerhatehurtpainrapelustwrathslothgluttonyenvyagonytorturedeathmurderkillkillkill**_

 _I felt everything in me recoil in revulsion. It was a familiar feeling, like that fire I walked through once upon a time. However, just like back then, I burdened it all with the strength of will alone._

 _The void collapsed in a shower of broken glass shards, and my world manifested before me, but I wasn't alone. Atop my hill of swords stood a dark figure with a red bandanna wrapped around its head and its body was riddled with tribal tattoos. He wore my face and my eyes, but our resemblance stopped there. Everything about him was just so much darker, more menacing, and undeniably wrong._

" _ **Fascinating…**_ _"_

 _He smirked. He grinned. And then he laughed. His laugh was ominous and hollow, almost empty and humorless._

 _Dark swirls of miasma leaked out of the being in waves and touched my collections. The warm setting sun rapidly hid behind heavy leaded clouds, but not even a drop of rain fell. The black shadows corrupted my weapons, some but not all… still, it made my very core ache in agony and grief._

 _It was all I could witness before unconsciousness consumed me,_ _ **his**_ _name a lingering curse in my soul…_


	7. Chapter VII: Angra Mainyu

**Chapter VII: Angra Mainyu**

I woke up grasping for air, my hair matted on my forehead, and panic seizing my heart. Nausea clawed at my gut, my whole body shivering in terror. A bitter ball of bile was stuck in my throat, and I felt like keeling over and curling around myself.

A dark laugh echoed in my head, ringing at the back of my mind so ominously that banging my head to the wall almost seemed like a pleasant thought. I felt like something in me just cracked, spilling out like a dam with that dream as the catalyst. I can still see my face. That face that was mine and yet it wasn't, twisted into an expression of malevolence. I tried to take comfort at the fact that whatever I saw, it was all just a dream… just a dream… but it wasn't, because the laugh still lingered in my ears.

"Get out of my head," I can't help but demand, clutching my head between my clammy hands.

Horror made my eyes widen when the laugh grew louder.

" **Not a chance,"** the voice answered, a hint of amusement tinged at its edges. It was a husky baritone, as if it came from another side of a tunnel and echoed around the crevices of my bones. I snapped my head up instinctively, looking for the source of the voice only to realize it was all in my head. " **I am a part of you now.** "

"Who are you?" I asked, spinning around my room with a ready stance. "Show yourself!"

The voice only laughed harder. " **You are hilarious, my vessel,** " replied it, almost patronizing. " **But very well, I shall introduce myself. My name is** _ **Angra Mainyu**_ **.** "

I felt the sweat on my forehead turn cold, the hairs at the back of my head prickle. I might not know who **Angra Mainyu** was, but I think I could guess that he was bad news.

The dream, he was in my dream. I couldn't remember much of it, but I recall seeing him in a dark world full of swords. He was standing atop a hill as ichor and miasma leaked from him and cursed everything.

Pain in my head made me stumble and fall on my knees. My skin glowed dark for a moment, miasma oozing from my pores and tribal tattoos swirling and coiling on my limbs but disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared.

"Who… who are you?" I asked again, my heart thumping a mile a minute. "What have you done to me?"

" **I told you, didn't I?** " the being in me replied. " **And I haven't done anything to you. Yet, that is.** "

Sitting myself up on the cold floor and frowning, I asked, "Why are you in me?"

" **I possessed you, duh,** " Angra snarked.

My mind blanked for a moment, the image of my darker self rolling his eyes at me at those words made me wince.

 _How? When? Why?_

" **I admit that I'm not regretting choosing you as a host yet. You have a very cozy soul. I hope you don't mind me redecorating, though, 'cause I already did** ," he said with a jaunty laugh.

I took a deep breath. _Can I, can I make him go away?_

"When was it that you occupied my body? Why are you revealing yourself to me now?"

" **I've been in you like, since forever** ," Angra answered, the smirk in his voice apparent. He didn't answer my question; he's keeping something from me. My intuition screamed at me to demand it from him, and I scowled.

 _Fine, be that way; be mysterious all you want. I'll find out eventually,_ I thought.

" **I doubt that,** " he said amusedly, as if reading my thoughts.

" **Yes, I can read your thoughts. I'm in your head, idiot.** "

I sputtered in embarrassment. "You, you, get out of my head!"

" **Nope. You'll just have to resign yourself to the fact that we share a body now. Think of me as a background spectator-slash-commentator. I'll even allow you to think of me as a friend! We can be best friends, yes? We will be the closest best friends ever!** " He laughed merrily at his joke.

Honestly, it was really creepy.

I growled, gnashing my teeth in frustration.

" **This is such a wonderful world you've found yourself in,** " he continued, still with the creepy jovial tune that didn't suit his dark voice, " **Grimgar, wasn't it? Taking you here wasn't in my plans at all, but that meddling old vampire got involved and ruined everything. It doesn't matter, though. Ending up here was just as well. A world ripe with magical energy, still in the Age of Gods, and with plenty of pathetic little weaklings to curse. Oh, this is paradise!** "

Blanching at his words, I curled my fingers on my hair and pulled. I didn't know what the heck he was talking about, but I seriously doubt his plans was for the good of the many. "Get out! Get out of my body!"

Angra scoffed. " **Oh, please, you won't get rid of me that way** ," he said condescendingly. " **You're only hurting yourself**."

"I don't care. I'll kill myself if you don't get out," I threatened. Surprisingly, I found that I meant those words. Hopefully, he'll die too if I did so.

" **Then I'll just find another host when you died** ," he replied.

 _So much for that plan…_

Well, if my intuition was correct and he was indeed scheming something ominous, then it might be for the best that he stayed in me. That way, I could keep an eye on him, and maybe, stop him if ever worse comes to worst. Whoever this Angra Mainyu was, I won't let him succeed in his plans.

For some reason, I could feel him smirking at me. I narrowed my eyes. He definitely knew what I'm thinking about.

"What do you want from me?" I asked with a resigned sigh.

" **Nothing especially harmful. I wouldn't want my vessel to get damaged, so you can rest easy on that front** ," he assured, but it didn't put me at ease one bit.

"Fine, whatever," I replied. "Just so you know, though. As soon as I find a way to get rid of you, I'm booting you out. So don't get too cozy."

He chuckled. " **I'm not counting on it, but sure** ," he replied with a shrug. " **If anything you should be grateful I'm in you. Can't you see that I'm an extra skill? I can be your demon, like with the Dread Knights in this world. I'll whisper to you when an enemy is close by—but only when I want to. And I can even crack some good jokes!** "

I scoffed, standing up from my sitting position on the floor and dusting myself. _What are you, anyway?_ I asked him in my head. It's better to talk to him with telepathy, lest people who saw talking to myself think I'm crazy.

" **I'm a god** ," he replied, almost smug.

I walked outside my rented room in the Reserve Force Lodge and headed to the bathroom. I filled a basin with water and splashed my face to wash away the sleepiness still lingering.

 _Right,_ I thought sarcastically. _God of what? I thought you're so weak that you even need a vessel just to exist._

" **Hey, give me some respect** ," he said, indignant. " **I'll let you know that I'm as strong as Eldritch, or Rigel, if only I can materialize with my full strength.**

" **Yeah, I met them. Rigel's a wild dog; all bark and no bite. We're cool with each other, though** ," he added amusedly. " **And Eldritch is a bitch. A big fluffy white bitch. What'd I give to get her mane as a fur blanket…"**

 _You're incorporeal,_ I pointed out.

" **And so is she** ," he replied.

 _Touché._

As I finished washing up and doing my morning routine of exercises, I realized that I could ask Angra Mainyu about myself. Why I'm here was pretty much answered when he slipped. _A meddling vampire got involved._ A vampire. What was a vampire? I tilted my head as the word vanished from the forefront of my head.

" **Don't sweat it,** " Angra said as I tried to scurry after the word. " **Most of your consciousness is locked except the most basic of human instincts. It's got something to do about the atmosphere of the mana in this world.** "

I frowned. _Then, do you know who I was? Can you tell me that?_

Angra Mainyu snickered. " **You? Well, sure, I can tell you you're a dimwitted fool with an impossible and hopelessly idiotic dream."**

I felt offended. I mean seriously offended, as if he just pissed on my grave and then trampled on it while dancing buck naked.

Frowning, I crossed my arms on my chest on a petulant manner. "And is that so wrong?"

" **Not wrong, per se, just pitifully pathetic. Such a shame you fools are a dying breed. I'm pretty sure you're the only one left back in your old world. Lucky me!** "

 _Ugh._

Now that I'm back in the Reserve Force Lodge, cooking breakfast was once again shared with Moguzo. It didn't surprise me anymore that the big soft-hearted giant of a boy was already up and awake as I was just heading to the kitchen. He gave me a smile when he saw me enter the room.

" **That big guy is seriously presumptuous. I vote you slit his throat and own this fucking kitchen. Come on, I know you want to** ," Angra whispered conspiratorially to me.

I paused mid stride. _What the hell?_ I accused him.

" **What? I'm just saying. I'll really enjoy it if you did though** ," he replied darkly.

 _You're repulsing._

He gave me a mental shrug.

Deigning to ignore his sinister jabs and nefarious suggestions, I went on cooking with Moguzo. I thought about my plans last night and looking around Damroww with Manato and his party today. I should ask them now and head to the Crimson Moon HQ later to check out the bounty posters. If I want to establish a reputation as a soloist Bounty Hunter, I might as well start now.

When the rest of the party mates joined us in the kitchen/dining room, the food was already well prepared and the group did not hesitate to dig in. They all gave both Moguzo and I their praises and thanks, well, except Ranta. I don't expect a 'thank you' from him anyway so it's all good.

" **Like hell** ," Angra commented dryly. " **Can you, just, I don't know, give him a good slap or something? Use the sharp end of a knife while you're at it.** "

 _Shut up, please._

"Manato," I called the leader of the party. He looked up from his meal and game a questioning look. "I was wondering. Is it okay if I tag along your quest in Damroww today?"

He smiled at me. "Of course. The more the merrier, right guys?"

The rest of his party mates nodded. Ranta narrowed his eyes at me.

"You better not slow me down though," he told me. "I ain't saving your sorry ass if you turned out to be incompetent as a fly."

" **I'll flake his skin and shove it up his ass if I were you** ," the dark voice muttered. I sighed, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.

"You have no right to talk like that, Ranta. A fly is more competent than you," Haruhiro piped up dryly.

Ranta glared at Haruhiro. "Then you're crap Haruhiro! You know what flies do to crap, we eat them!"

Manato, Yume, Haruhiro, Shihoru, and even Moguzo choked with their food. This time, I really did pinch the bridge of my nose and shook my head, trying hard to vanish the mental image. Ranta's party mates gave him a disgusted look. Angra Mainyu laughed so hard I felt like my ears were ringing.

"What?" Ranta asked obliviously.

"So, are you gonna join our raids?" Manato said, ignoring the russet-haired boy and perhaps struggling to regain his appetite. "It'll be great to have another scout. Maybe we can finally move deeper into Damroww."

"Actually, I wanted to go bounty hunting," I replied, scratching a cheek. "I'll check the bulletin if there's any posters set up located in Damroww."

"Oh," Manato replied.

"Bounty Huntin'?" Yume asked wide eyed. "Ain't that super dangerous? Shirou don't have a party, are you gonna do it alone?"

"Don't worry," I said reassuringly, "I'm not going to accept anything more than I can take. I'm just going to scout around and see if I can do it. If I can, then great; if I can't, then I'll just have to get stronger till I can finally do it."

Haruhiro raised an eyebrow at me. "What if you don't get a chance? What if you get killed?" he said. It wasn't a question, more like an introspection.

I figured Haruhiro was too cautious, even more cautious than Manato. He liked playing it safe—comfortably moving in a situation that he could calculate to their advantage. He had a good head on his shoulders; if only he wasn't too much of an introvert, he might actually turn out to be a great leader.

"I'm not going to get myself killed," I replied seriously. "Not yet."

" **I'm not letting you die, either. Yeah, not yet, not while you're still useful** ," Angra Mainyu added in my head. Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at him.

"Okay, then," Manato said. "We'll meet you at the gate at eight o'clock sharp."

I nodded at him.

* * *

Standing in front of the Crimson Moon headquarters, I can't help but realize that the dilapidated illegible sign board above the door actually says that; Altana Frontier Army's Reserve Force, Crimson Moon. I don't blame my past self for missing it, though; some of the letters had fallen out and the rest were faded. Bri was such an irresponsible commander.

Stepping inside, I walked past the familiar clutter of unoccupied chairs and tables and heading straight to the counter. As usual, Bri was just lounging on his chair; his head hanging from one side-arm while his feet dangled on the other. If he thought that the uncomfortable posture made him look enticing, he was gravely mistaken. His long green hair was especially greasy, his six-packed mid-riff showing due to his scant choice of tight and bright clothes, while his Adam's apple was exposed and his black-painted lips were parted. It was a disturbing sight; all muscles, toned skin, and thick make-up draped saucily on the seat while he dreamt… something. I don't even want to guess what he's dreaming about; if the obvious tent in his tight pants was anything to go by, it was probably something traumatizing.

" **What a bizarre creature. I think he's one you humans call 'faggot'. Faggot, indeed, in every sense of the word, and there's only one, but it suits him just fine,** " Angra commented amusedly.

 _Ung…_ _What the heck am I supposed to do? It'll be rude to wake him up,_ I thought.

" **I say you just choke him to death,** " the voice in my head said with a disgusted snort. " **I bet you would do a world of good if you did. Yes, just kill him. Save the world from his taint. You want to be a hero, don't you?** " the annoying self-proclaimed god taunted.

 _You're suggestions are getting darker and darker each time_ , I told him with a frown.

" **I'm your inner consciousness. I'm just voicing the thoughts in your head that you don't want to acknowledge** ," he reasoned. " **They're there, though, so don't deny it!** "

 _I don't acknowledge them because they're not good. I admit that they're there but I'm not gonna do anything about them. And having them isn't wrong; it's a part of being human and flawed._

" **Oh, goody-goody** ," Angra replied, rolling his eyes. " **Stop being so morally uptight, will you? It's disgusting. This is the reason why I hate idealistic wannabe heroes. You're all so damned hard to twist and corrupt. The end result is always worth it, though.** "

I sniffed indignantly. _What are you talking about?_

" **Nothing,** " he grumbled. " **Look, sleeping beauty is awake**."

I focused back on the world outside and met Bri's half-lidded blue eyes. I felt like vomiting at the look he gave me. A sultry smile spread on his lips, making a shiver ran up and down my spine, and it wasn't a pleasant one.

"Do you like what you see, kitty?" Bri asked me, his hand reaching and tucking a green lock on his ear seductively. I think he assumed I was staring at his sleeping form. The thought made me more nauseated and horrified.

Angra's laugh echoed in my soul.

"Uh, no, no," I denied immediately.

Bri pouted at me. God, I wanted to facepalm so bad.

"You wound me, my kitten. That's not very nice at all," he said, looking hurt.

"Uhm," I grumbled. "I didn't want to disturb your sleep."

The green-haired commander grinned at me. "How considerate of you," he drawled.

" **Careful now, vessel,** " Angra warned, " **Entertaining as it might turn out to be, I don't want my new container to be defiled by that thing.** "

 _Well, neither do I._

"Actually, I just came here to check the bounty posters," I told him.

Bri sat upright on his chair and looked at me critically, observing my stature and attire. "I see you've joined a guild, the Hunters Guild. Huh? I thought for sure you'll go for Warrior or Paladin."

I shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. I was not wearing my Hunters gear and garb. How'd he know I joined the Hunters Guild?

"So you want to be a Bounty Hunter, huh?" he asked, retrieving a thick tome from behind the counter. The book was filled with parchments messily, as if it'd all been stuffed in there in a hurry. "I reckon your Guild Master must be Hotarou."

"Yeah," I answered. "You know Hotarou?"

Bri shrugged. "Who doesn't? That guy is a well-known lazy old coot, wasting his talents on booze and stupid things. He barely had any decent student in a while, I hope you're prepared enough to go on your own. Again, I'd be disappointed if you died so soon," he said with a charming smile.

"Right," I replied with a contrived smile of my own.

"Is there a specific race you want as a target? A place? Or an amount of the bounty?" he asked.

"My friends' party is heading to Damroww. It'll be great if a target is located there," I answered.

"Oh yes, the Goblin Slayers," Bri said with a derisive snort. I frowned in disapproval, but didn't say anything. "Here's one." He took a page from the book and showed it to me.

On the page was a drawn picture of a grinning goblin. Unlike the mudgoblins I've encountered on my first day in Grimgar, this one's skin was dark ash, and he also wore armor and was armed with real weapons. According to the specifics, this little guy wasn't that much of a threat on his own, but he has a small army of stooges and a very clever head on his shoulders. For that, he was dubbed in the paper as [The General].

[The General] had taken Damroww as his base of operations, building up his army by ambushing small raiding parties and confiscating their equipment. He would then distribute the weapons and armors to his minions and train them how to use it. There was a chain of command somewhere there; [The General] had little lieutenants running around with his every beck and call, and these lieutenants had a platoon of minions under them, too. They were still barely as skilled as a trainee, but they were focused more on quantity than quality. After all, goblins were hardy little beasts, and combine that with higher durability, a bit more skill, and the advantage of numbers, they could be a lot of trouble for a small raiding group, like say, Manato's party.

" **Will, you look at that,** " Angra tittered in my head. " **Those group of weaklings you associate with are lucky or what."**

I blanched when I realized the danger Manato and his group had been putting themselves in by poking around in Damroww for so long. It was a relief that they hadn't encountered [The General] yet. I'd make sure they never had to.

"I'm taking it," I told Bri.

"Wonderful," the man said, clasping his hands. "The price on his head is fifty silvers, and all the loot you get is yours, too. Now listed here are the things you should bring back in case of successful elimination. You don't have to necessarily show me all of them, maybe just enough as proof. Hmm… there's only one requirement here—his necklace. As you can see in the illustration, it's a very expensive thing—wolf fangs, gold coins, and gemstones strung on it, so all you have to do is show it to me and you can keep it."

" **Sounds promising** ," Angra said.

 _I'm not so sure_ , I thought.

"Wait, if this [The General] is so low on the food chain and could be targeted by a newbie like me, why hasn't anyone ever killed him before?"

"Good question," Bri praised. "Well, [The General] isn't really a specific person, as the name implies, it's a position. When one of them gets killed, another just rises up in the ranks and takes the vacancy. Do you know how many goblin settlements are there in the frontier? A lot. That means there are a lot of [The General] out there, each of them having an equal bounty on their heads, and this one is specifically in Damroww. Besides, army commanders like these goblins are commanders for a reason. They're clever tacticians, the slippery little worms. Goblins they might be, but they are hard to take down, so be careful."

"So, are you saying that even if I killed this guy, another one will just become another him, and kill trainees to equip his army?"

"Exactly," Bri answered. "Don't tell me you're feeling sorry for them," he added with a smirk.

"No, that's not it," I said. "I'm just concerned that there's no end to them. Even if I slayed their leader, another one would just replace him. I would have to kill that one again, but it'll just be an endless cycle. Is there any way to make them stop fighting?"

"You're so naïve, my kitten," said Bri, his eyes softening genuinely for a moment. "If you really want them to stop, then there's only one thing you can do. _Genocide_. Kill all of them, then no one will succeed in the ranks."

My eyes widened. The words getting stuck in my throat at such a thought.

Angra smirked. " **You know, I like the sound of that. Let's be a hero and massacre all of them.** "

"You can't be serious," I said incredulously to Bri, and to Angra Mainyu.

"But I am," Bri replied seriously. "We're in a war, Shi-chan. This is war, a battle of survival against the other races. It's better them than us, and the rest of them thinks the same way. There's no other angle, no fancy shmancy ideals behind it; it's either kill or be killed. You have to accept that and move on. Compassion for your enemies will only lead to an early grave."

That was disquieting. It's not like I didn't already know it, but being told outright made it all the more true. _Is it so wrong, to wish for a world where everyone can be happy?_

Surprisingly, Angra Mainyu didn't have a single snarky remark to throw my way.

* * *

I drifted in the streets of Altana in a daze, walking around lost in thought. I was so prepared to kill this time, thinking that I'm finally gonna do something that actually mattered, but in the end, it was all just a stupid sham. _What am I supposed to do now?_

" **What about starting by waving back at that moron calling to you for a while now. Or you can punch him. On the nuts, I'd prefer. Yeah, that'd work, too,** " Angra told me.

I looked around to see what he was talking about, only to be surprised when an armored arm slung itself on my shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey! You're the new guy, right? Shicchi? The one I met in the tavern last night? You're with Manacchi last night, ammaright?"

The overly happy, and shockingly sober warrior from last night asked in a flurry of questions. We were about the same height, so his drooping posture put a strain on my stature. The heavy arm he'd put around me in a friendly gesture chapped at my shoulders, and I fought the urge to grimace.

"Yeah, that's me," I answered. "Kikkawa, right?"

"I knew I'm right! Ha ha ha! Anyway, since we're not properly acquainted last night, yeah, 'cause I'm so far gone with the booze I can't remember things right, I realize I'd come find you and introduce myself again! Brilliant, right? And I'm apologizing, too! I don't know why, but I'm apologizing anyway! Imagine my surprise when I saw you walking around! Yeah, I'm so lucky! So, is there anything I can help you with? What're you up to now? Do you already have a party? Oooh! I've heard you came alone! Did you join a veteran party like I did?"

" **What the hell is wrong with this guy? His chirpy attitude is grating on my nerves,** " Angra rasped testily. " **Can you wring his neck for me?** "

I ignored him.

"No, no, I don't have a party," I replied to Kikkawa. "I'm planning on going solo."

"Oh no! That can't do! You'll die a lonely death!" Kikkawa exclaimed dramatically. "No! I won't let you! I just met you, too! I know! I have lots of connections so I can find someone to accompany you! Oooh! I remember someone available on a short notice! And she's a priest, too! She'll be perfect! Yeah, yeah!" he nodded to himself. "I bet you're going to the gate at eight, yeah? I'm gonna tell her right now! Wait for her, k?"

As the hyperactive warrior raced away in a hurry to contact his friend, I can't help but facepalm. _He didn't even give me a chance to refuse,_ I thought, dumbfounded.

" **If I saw that guy again, I'm gonna fucking curse him and drink his soul,** " Angra Mainyu muttered disdainfully.


End file.
